Luke 12:33-34

Luke chapter 12 verses 33 and 34. Sell that you have and give alms. Provide yourselves bags which wax not old, a treasure in the heavens that faileth not, where no thief approacheth, neither moth corrupteth. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. May God bless to us His. sacred and holy word this morning. I read about a man who spent his entire life, adult life, at least, amassing a fortune in the stock market. He retired at 62, he expected to live out the rest of his life in ease and comfort, but a severe market crash wiped out all his wealth in a short period of time, a devastating blow. He was ruined financially and utterly depressed. All his earthly treasure was gone, and he committed suicide. And he had nothing left to live for as far as he was concerned. Now, that story could be repeated over and over again. It’s happened many times in this world. It’s a common problem. riches have wings and they fly away it flies away from it and there’s nothing that you can do to prevent it. Our Lord has told his followers not to worry about the necessities of life in this passage of of scripture before us. That God’s providence watches over them. That God will provide for them as the people of God, the necessities of life, the necessities of life, and if we first seek the kingdom of God, Christ promises that the necessities of life will not be lacking. God will take care of us. Our text here speaks about seeking treasure in heaven rather than accumulating earthly treasure. His theme is still the same. What he previously taught is the same. The question is, where do your priorities lie? Now let me begin by saying this. You were told to hold the things of this world with a loose hand. In verse 33, sell that ye have and give alms, provide yourselves bags which wax not old, where no thief approaches, neither moth corrupted. Now, let me begin by saying what the verse does not teach, and then we’ll get down to what it does teach. You’re not to look on this command to sell all that you have and give alms as teaching the need, the voluntarily shed all your property on this earth. There is no duty to read. reduce yourself to complete poverty, as if this were some, in some remarkable way, acceptable before God. You don’t have to take a Roman Catholic vile of poverty and become a beggar dependent on the generosity of others. Nor does Acts chapter 2 provide an example of this command being put into practice. We read this. and 24 and 45, and all that believed were together, and had all things in common and sold their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every man had me. Now, you’ll recall that the day of Pentecost was an unusual circumstance, because there were thousands of new believers from all parts of the Roman Empire which had come to Jerusalem for the Passover. but they heard Paul or Peter preach on the day of Pentecost and thousands of them believed. And they stayed behind at Jerusalem in order to be taught more about the doctrine and about the things of God. Eventually, they would return to their homes. But in the meantime, they had to be provided for. And so the church provided for them the necessities. of life temporarily. The people the church sold properties and lands and so forth and gave the money to the church, which was used then to provide for these people who were new believers in Christ. There is no indication that the church members sold all their possessions and put the money in a common fund, and which they themselves, were also sustained. For instance, Barnabas had land, which he sold, were told, and he gave the money to the apostles. He didn’t sell everything that he had. There’s no indication he sold everything, but he had some land and he didn’t need it right now, and thought I could sell that and give the money to help out with the present crisis. And he did. The same with Ananias. In Sapphire, you recall that they sold some land, and there’s nothing there about them selling their home or their possessions. What these people did was done voluntarily. It was not done of necessity to comply with any direct command of Scripture. Peter indicates that they could have sold the land and retained the proceeds for themselves. They were under no obligation to give it to them. the church. Acts 5.4, whilst it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? You voluntarily did this. Now, you lied about it. You said you gave all the money when you didn’t. You kept some back. But the point here is, Peter says, look, you didn’t have to sell the property. You did sell a property. You did sell a property. and when you sold the property, you didn’t have to give the money to church, but you did. But you lied about it. And that was what got them into trouble. So we have to take care that we don’t read into this verse more than is here. The passage that Russell read indicates that the rich in the church didn’t have to give up all their money in order to be equal to everybody else in the church. But the point was they should be ready and willing to communicate, give them money to help those in need in the church. Not that they had to give everything, but they’re not supposed to trust in their uncertain riches. But in the living God, that’s what he tells them. And so we have to keep this in mind. So what this church, what this verse doesn’t teach is that we have to be like the Roman Catholic. and go in some kind of vile poverty or something like that. What this verse does teach is this. Our Lord is saying here that what he is teaching must be connected with what he has been saying in this passage. Instead of worldly anxiety and an undue desire to accumulate things of this earth, Christ tells you to trust in divine problems. instead of resembling the rich and hoarding all your goods and being covetous, you should consider giving some of it to the poor. Give alms to people who need it. You could sell what is not necessary for you and your family in order to assist those who are in need. The Bible says if a man doesn’t provide for his own family, he’s worth an infidap. So you have a little. an obligation to provide for your family. And that may mean, you know, I’ll place a house and, you know, enough money to provide food for the table and so forth. You remember that, I think it was Gaius, they had the church at his house. Several people in the Bible, they had a church in their house. Well, they must have a house in order to have a church in it. But they were using it for God’s purposes, too. So your charitable giving to others was the true way. the secure your treasure because it’s laid up in heaven, he says. As to your money, he says, don’t just deposit it in a bag or a purse which gets old, there’s holes in it where it might be stolen from you or it somehow might get lost, so to speak. Put your money to good use, helping others. And you will be depositing in heaven. That’s what he’s saying. Where thieves can’t touch it, where maws can’t eat it up, so to speak. And again, I refer you back to 1st Timothy chapter 6, verses 17 to 19 at Russell Red. Because that’s a very similar thing. He says the very same thing about your treasure being in heaven there. So hold earthly things with a loose hand and be ready to sell. order to lay up treasure in heaven. Let us not be greedy when we have fellow believers who are in need. They could use some help from us. We talked about this before. God gives you extra. Not just so you can have extra, but so that you can exercise your gift of a giving. And help others. In other words, God is making the person who is, poor trust in him and he’s exercising you to be more kind and giving and not covetous with the money so both of you are being blessed and developing graces now let’s make a couple observations first of all do not think your charitable giving can earn you heaven let’s be careful that we don’t come up with wrong ideas here there are no good works with which are meritorious so that you may purchase heaven or even by the least favor from God. We have to get away from any kind of thinking in that direction. Everything you have is God’s already, and we’ve talked about this before, you are merely a steward of God. It would be like us purchasing something from a person with their own money. you don’t buy your neighbor’s car by writing a check from his own account because you’re his accountant. Your accountant. That wouldn’t work. Maybe we could put it this way. You write a check for a large amount to a charitable organization so that you get all the praise and honor from it. But you’re actually taking the money from somebody else’s account and you’re just the accountant. Now, that wouldn’t be a good. go over big. Well, God is, you know, in a way that’s what we do if we claim anything meritorious on our own. Remember that in order for your alms giving to be acceptable to God, it must flow from faith. For whatsoever is not a faith is of sin, as Romans 1423 says. Paul declares that your giving alms may be great and yet failed to be motivated by love toward your neighbor. this in 1 Corinthians 133. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor and have not charity, it profit of me nothing. Some people, just so that they might appear good in the eyes of others, receive and receive the praise of men, give us. But they’re not motivated by love toward their native. And Paul is saying, that’s not good. You have to have love towards your neighbor. To profess faith in the first place, it’s not done in faith, it’s of not any value either. But if it’s not, if it’s done in faith, that means you’re already trusting in the righteousness of Jesus Christ as the way to get, have a home in heaven, right? You already have faith. You have cast aside all your so-called good work. in order that you might gain heaven. There are still thee rags in your sight. You’re trusting in Christ’s righteousness. So it’s not by works of righteousness we have done, but according to His mercy, he saved us. Love towards your neighbor is the result of the Spirit’s grace working in your life already. Not that you might earn salvation because you already have salvation. It was the saying of a very charitable man on his deathbed. that what he had kept to himself, he was about to lose. What he had given away in this life, he had already stored up and he’s going to take it with him. It’s already in heaven. So you are told here, I think, to hold the things of this world with a loose hand. Not a covetous hand. Second one, you should realize where your treasure is, your heart will be also. That is in verse 34. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. Now, it is essential that you form a correct idea of what your treasure is. What is treasure to you? Whatever you regard as your treasure will be what you fix your heart on in this life. It will receive your greatest attention. A worldly people fix their attention on earthly possessions on their land, on their money, on their cars, on their properties, on their gold, their silver, their stocks, their bonds, their furs, their jewelry, and so forth. That’s their treasure. The tenor of your thoughts and desires then will be fixed on your treasure. If it’s in stocks and bonds, then you’re frequently checking them throughout the day to see if you have gains or losses. Your constant worry is a market crash or some type of bad news, which is going to cause the stocks to plummet. If your treasure is in gold and silver or furs and jewels, then you’re constantly checking to make sure that they’re safe and secure. You know, you’ve got your security system of up and you’re checking in with your cameras and so forth all day on making sure everything’s safe. You invest in the best security, the monitor those things. These valuable goods are frequently on your mind and they command a great deal of your attention. The covetous man expresses his true state like this. I’m here, but my heart is at home. That is with my money. Now, as a believer in Jesus Christ, your treasure cannot consider. exist of earthly things. Your treasure is in Christ himself and whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Your treasure is in the possession of the blessing of the blessing of God’s salvation in connection in connection with the prospect of God’s salvation, in connection with The kingdom of heaven is like unto treasure that’s hid in a field. The witch, what a man hath found, he hith. For joy thereof goeth, selleth all that he hath, and buyeth that field. To give everything he has for the field because it’s the salvation that we have in Christ. Your treasure consists of spiritual knowledge you possess. In Matthew 1352, it says, every scribe which is instructed under the kingdom of heaven is like unto a man that is a householder which bringeth out of his treasure. Things new and old. The knowledge of God’s truth is a treasure that we have. For God who commandeth the light to shine out of darkness has shined in our heart. to give the light of the knowledge of God in the face of Jesus Christ, but we have this treasure, this knowledge of salvation in earthly vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, not in us, 2 Corinthians 4, 6 and 7. The gospel was called a treasure because it was an abundance of rich truths, which are comparable to gold and silver and precious. gems, reads the Psalms. It has valuable spiritual blessings. The blessings of the new covenant, which are solid, substantial, irrevocable. These precious promises are worth more than all the earthly treasure that you could possibly amount and accumulate. We who live in earthen vessels because these bodies of clay are going to die, possess this treasure, and it can’t be taken from us. Gospel ministers who proclaim this glorious message are frail men, and yet the power God rests upon them as they proclaim the message of God of the gospel of Jesus Christ. And therefore your mind is occupied with God. your mind is chiefly concerned about his desires, his truth, his words, his kingdom. In other words, heavenly things. You pray, you meditate on this invaluable treasure that you possess, for there is no earthly thing that can compare to it. So, as you sound to you form a correct judgment of what you consider your treasure, let me make a few observations. and the first is this. Examine yourself as to what you consider your treasure. You wish to know whether you have a home in heaven or not? All I’ve got to do is ask you, where is your treasure? Where’s your heart? There are a multitude of professing Christians who believe that heaven will be their earthly home, but our text challenges you to examine. Where do you have your treasure? Where it is? It reveals. where your home is going to be for eternity. You know, in Pilgrim’s Progress, when Mr. Christian and a companion were following the narrow road leading to the celestial city, they come to this man named Demas. And he’s working a silver mine right next to the road here, the pathway to the celestial city, the narrow road. Demas urges him to turn aside. There’s treasure to be. found. There’s money to be made. And he lays before them the prospect of being rich. But the pilgrims realized they couldn’t stop and work the mine and also followed the road that led to the celestial city. You can’t do both. And so they hurry on their way. They don’t stop. Deemis is revealed in scripture as a man who once worked as a close companion of Paul’s in the spreading of the gospel. But then Demoth has forsaken me, having loved this present world. And he’s gone to Thessalonica, the Bible says. Timothy says, Paul says, that Demas forsook him. Gave up the work of the minister. Gave up his interest in the narrow road in the celestial city. So, Christian and his companion rush on. They’re not going to stay there. You can’t love the world and love Christ too. You can’t do both. One must take the priority in your life. If your heart is set, if your chief desires pursue the things of this world, then you have no reason to think you have treasure laid up in heaven. You are among those who mind earthly things and you have neither part nor lot in this matter of heaven. On the other hand, if you can hold the things of this life with a loose hand and see them as only of secondary importance and your chief interest is in heavenly things that indeed you’ll be laying up treasure in heaven. You can be assured of a home there. So examine yourself. Where’s your treasure? Next, let me mention this also. Do you perceive the folly of making your treasure consist of earthly things? Let Christ’s words lead any of you whose heart is said on earthly things to realize the danger that you are in. Pray the Lord by His grace, by His grace. that he would turn your heart and eyes away from the things of this world. To give you an interest in heavenly treasure, to pursue the riches and blessings associated with the gospel of Jesus Christ. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above where Christ siteth on the right hand of God, Set your affections above, not on things of the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God, Colossians 3, 1 to 4. Well, the man who committed suicide after the stock market crash did so because all his treasure was earthly, and he had nothing to live for. You as a professing Christian are to seek to lay up treasure in heaven. as your chief end. So we must hold the things of this life with a loose hand and discard anything which draws away your heart from pursuing the things of the kingdom of God. Form a correct judgment as to what to consider your treasure. Because a Christian’s treasure is going to be much different from that of the man of the world. Let’s close. It’s really wonderful.