Sunday
08/07/16 Freeville/Homer Avenue UMC’s
Sermon Title: “Where your treasure is, there your
heart will be too”
(“Pursuing God’s
Kingdom” Series – Part 1 of 4)
Old Testament
Scripture: Psalm 50:1-8, 22-23
New Testament
Scripture: Hebrews 11:1-3, 8-16
Gospel Lesson: Luke
12:32-40
My brothers and sisters, my friends, welcome again on this
the Twelfth Sunday after Pentecost. Twelve Sundays after the Holy Spirit moved
in that Upper Room in Jerusalem, and the Christian Church was born. After three
years of following Jesus Christ, learning from Jesus Christ, and listening to
Jesus Christ, the Christian Church was officially born on the day of Pentecost.
Since that day, the first disciples and generations since, have
attempted to live their faith, and to grow closer to God. There are times in
our history that I think that we have done this gloriously, and there are times
that I think that we have struggled with this.
One of my favorite scriptures is from the Apostle Paul’s
letter to the church in Philippi, or the Philippians. Paul writes in 2:12, “Therefore, my beloved, just as you have always obeyed
me, not only in my presence, but much more now in my absence, work out your own
salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12, NRSV). Since I believe in Jesus
Christ, since I believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ is the hope of the
world, I have many times grown in faith and further figured out my “own
salvation with fear and trembling” (Phil. 2:12b, NRSV). To me, it isn’t enough
to just be your pastor, I want to “Pursue God’s Kingdom”.
Now God’s Kingdom has always been
present I believe on some level, but when Jesus Christ came into the picture,
it is as if some cracks in a dam exploded. The gospel of Matthew tells us that
when Jesus Christ died on the cross that, “At that moment the curtain of the
temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were
split” (Mt. 27:51, NRSV). The curtain of the temple, housed what we
call, “the holy of holies”. What was “the holy of holies”? It is the actual box
that contained the actual 10-commandments that Moses took down from Mount
Sinai, after receiving them from God. The 10-commandments, the box that they
were placed in, and the room that contained this in the temple was the holiest
room in the temple. Only the high priest could enter this room once a year, and
he would have a rope tied around his waist. He had a rope tied around his waist,
because if God found him unworthy, he would then fall and die instantly. Since
the high priest was deemed the holiest person alive, the less holy priests
could then pull the now dead high priest out with the rope from this holiest
room.
Yet, the gospel of Matthew scripture
that I just read said, “At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in
two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, and the rocks were split” (Mt. 27:51,
NRSV). This means brothers and sisters, that we now all now have access
to “the holy of holies”. This access is not once a year, with a rope tied
around our waste. Instead, it is access whenever we want it. The great
Protestant Reformer Martin Luther didn’t make this statement directly, but
inferred that we as Christians are, the “priesthood of all believers”. In
hinting at this, brother Martin was citing the scripture from 1 Peter that says,
“like living stones, let yourselves be built into a spiritual house, to be a holy
priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus
Christ” (1 Pet. 2:5, NRSV).
I am venturing for a few moments off
of my central topic this morning, to make this point, the veil has been torn,
and we are the “priesthood of all believers”. This means, that in addition to
just believing in God, in addition to just accepting the grace of Jesus Christ,
and in addition to just being filled with the power of the Holy Spirit, we are
then freed up to “Pursue God’s Kingdom”.
With this in mind, I am starting a new
sermon series this morning called, you guessed it, “Pursuing God’s Kingdom”.
This is a four week series that will run through this month of August. This
sermon series is designed to challenge us beyond just salvation, to a deeper faith,
and a faith that includes action.
You know, I met many people that
believe in Jesus Christ as there Lord and Savior, but some of these folks might
not be “Pursuing God’s Kingdom”. In order to move beyond just salvation in
Jesus Christ, just going to heaven one day, is growing our faith in this life,
and us capturing the power that our faith can have in the world. This sermon
series called “Pursuing God’s Kingdom” challenges us again, to go beyond just believing
in Jesus Christ, to pursuing God, and pursuing God’s mission for us, and for
the church. We need a faith that is vibrant, active, and growing. A faith that
believes the basics and goes no further however, to me, is a faith that is not
living up to our full faith potential.
This week, Jesus challenges us very
strongly to “Pursue God’s Kingdom”. This week, Jesus Christ tells us in the Gospel
of Luke, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too” (Lk. 12:34,
CEB). Next week, Jesus will powerfully talk about the choice of choosing to
serve him or not. Jesus will then tell us about doing the right thing. Lastly,
Jesus will tell us to love and bring in all people into this community of
faith.
So Jesus tells us this morning, “Where
your treasure is, there your heart will be too” (Lk. 12:34, CEB). According to
the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, the definition of “Treasure” is:
1.
Wealth (as money, jewels, or precious metals) stored up or hoarded (buried treasure).
1b.
Wealth of any kind or in any form: riches.
1c.
A store of money in reserve.
2.
Something of great worth or value; also: a person esteemed as rare
or precious.
3:
a collection of precious things
As you hear these definitions my sisters and brothers, I
ask you, where is your treasure? Jesus tells us that if we want to “Pursue God’s
Kingdom” that where we have placed our treasure is important to God.
The Gospel of Luke reading for this week begins with Jesus
saying:
“Don’t be afraid,
little flock, because your Father delights in giving you the kingdom. Sell your
possessions and give to those in need. Make for yourselves wallets that don’t
wear out—a treasure in heaven that never runs out. No thief comes there, and no
moth destroys. Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too” (Lk.
12:32-34, CEB).
I have found in now serving as the pastor of four churches,
that when the pastor and the church are pursing the mission of the church, and “Pursuing
God’s Kingdom,” that the church gets stronger. I have found that we grow in
faith, we grow in number, and for some reason, ever church I pastor, has growth
tremendously financially.
I believe that there are so many people in our culture
today that want to believe, but they are discouraged, or they have been hurt. Some
people have given up on church altogether. What happens brothers and sisters,
when we create a church that truly “Pursues God’s Kingdom”? I believe that when
this happens, you will see new life, new growth, new hope, and abundances that you
could have never imagined.
I also believe that if we are to effectively live out our
mission of “making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the
world,” they we must first allow God to transform our hearts more. We must be
so filled with the love of Jesus Christ, that with everything we have and are,
we chose to “Pursue God’s Kingdom”. Part of this choice is deciding what we do
with our treasure.
Some college students might find that their greatest treasure
vested within the walls of Budweiser factory. Some kids might find that there
treasure is called an X-Box. Some of us might find that our treasures are cars,
boats, houses, and etc. Yet last week we discussed that the Rev. Billy Graham
said, “I have never seen a U-Haul behind a hearse”.
So where to do we put our treasure my brothers and sisters?
Are the things we value things of God, are the things we value of this earth. When
Jesus was asked about the value of earthly treasure in the form of money, he
said in Luke 20:25, “Then give to the emperor
the things that are the emperor’s, and to God the things that are God’s”
(Lk. 20:25, NRSV).
So what do we do with our treasure?
How do we spend our time, our money, and our talents? For if God has given us
so much, what do we do with our treasure? Do we keep all of our treasure only
for ourselves, or do we use some of it to “Pursue God’s Kingdom?” We remember
the story last week of the rich farmer who built bigger barns and hoarded his
food, drink, and wealth. Where do we place all that God has given us? Further,
are we naïve enough to think that anything we have is really ours, and not Gods?
Do we realize that our talents, our wealth, our possessions have all been made
possible from our God who created us with the gifts and abilities to accrue
everything we have?
I used to love stopping to get coffee
some mornings. I would get a big fancy cup of flavored coffee, and I would put
all sorts of creamers and things in it. I used to also love listening to my
satellite radio on the way, as well. Yet I gave those two things up, so that I
could give more. Melissa and I sold our home in Moravia, I spent four years
attending theological school, doing a hospital internship, tons of training,
because I decided back in 2010 when I finally attended seminary that I was
going to “Pursue God’s Kingdom”.
You see, we can have faith, we can go
to church, but where is our heart, and where is our treasure? Jesus doesn’t
pull any punches this morning. In next week’s gospel, Jesus is very direct that
he came to draw people to holiness and righteousness, and that we don’t have
time to waste.
So, my sisters and brothers, do we on this day and always
want to grow closer to God? Do we want a stronger and a growing church? Do we
want to “Pursue God’s Kingdom?” If we said yes to all of these, which I hope we
did, Jesus said that one step towards accomplishing this, is taking very
seriously his statement, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be too”
(Lk. 12:34, CEB).
In closing, I want to tell you story called “Wesley’s Wealth”.
The source of this story is the Christian History Newsletter,
November 30, 2001. This story is of course is about the founder of our
Methodist movement, John Wesley. Here is what the story says: “The modern
Australian way is to spend, spend, spend, to the very limits of your income and
then some more! A few hundred years ago the great preacher and evangelist John
Wesley showed us another way. Wesley lived in economically uncertain times, yet
from humble beginnings he became so well known that his income eventually
reached 1400 pounds per year. In 2001 this would be the equivalent of earning
around $300,000.”
“So
what did he do with all this wealth? Did he tithe it? No. Wesley went way
beyond tithing. He disciplined himself to live on just 30 pounds of the 1400
pounds he earned every year. He gave away 98% of all he earned and lived on
just 2%!”
“Wesley
once preached a sermon on Luke 16.9. In it he spelled out his philosophy: money
is a tool that can be used for great good or great ill. “It is an excellent
gift of God” he claimed, “answering the noblest ends. In the hands of his
children, it is food for the hungry, drink for the thirsty, raiment for the
naked: It gives to the traveler and the stranger where to lay his head. By it
we may supply the place of an husband to the widow, and of a father to the
fatherless. We maybe a defense for the oppressed, a means of health to the
sick, of ease to them that are in pain; it may be as eyes to the blind, as feet
to the lame; yea, a lifter up from the gates of death! It is therefore of the
highest concern that all who fear God know how to employ this valuable talent;
that they be instructed how it may answer these glorious ends, and in the
highest degree.”
“He
went on to spell out three simple rules which can guide us: gain all you can,
save all you can, give all you can. Wesley lived out these principles, on
another occasion remarking: , “If I leave behind me ten pounds…you and all
mankind [can] bear witness against me, that I have lived and died a thief and a
robber.”
So
how does our gospel lesson end this morning? Jesus says, “You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming
at an unexpected hour” (Lk. 12:40, NRSV). Jesus says, that one
day the trumpet will sound, on that “great getting up morning,” and he will return
in glory. Until that day though, will we “Pursue God’s Kingdom”? If the answer
to that question is yes, one of the ways we can do this is take seriously the
statement that Jesus said, “Where your treasure
is, there your heart will be too” (Lk. 12:34, CEB).
May the abundant blessings of heaven, the blessings that
money can’t buy, be yours now and forever. May God use, guide us, and fill us,
so that we may all “Pursue God’s Kingdom”. Amen.
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