Sermon Tone Analysis

Today’s Gospel reading continues in the grand theme of rewards.

In the last few weeks we’ve seen how God rewards those who give, pray and fast appropriately.

The religious leaders of Jesus day continued to hold on to a misconception that was addressed in the oldest book of the Bible, Job – God blesses the righteous in this life and a lack of blessing is an indication of God’s displeasure.

If the first Easter morning doesn’t teach us anything else, it teaches us that death and the grave is not the end.

I was reading on Twitter yesterday from Dr. Russell Moore who is president of the Ethics and Religious Liberties Coalition of the Southern Baptist Convention.

He wrote in a series of tweets, “In a secularizing age, who needs a church for pep and ‘energy’ in an era of neighborhood gyms and social media?

Maybe what people need is a church to address what they secretly fear and try to avoid: ‘I’m going to die.

What then?’”

Our faulty thinking comes from the two dates that appear on most cemetery headstones – when we are born and when we die.

But reality is that life is a 3-act play that begins at conception, the 2nd act begins at our birth, and the 3rd act begins at our death.

And make no mistake, each act shapes the next.

Pre-natal genetics determine the mature human’s eye color, blood type, height, and hundreds of other traits, some as insignificant as the shape of one’s earlobes.

In-uterine nutrition can set a trajectory for things such as weight, breathing issues, brain function, addiction and ability or disability of several senses.

Fetal exposure to 2nd hand smoke or alcohol can be an issue of life or death for the newborn.

While none of us remember our pre-natal experience, it has shaped each of us in significant ways.

Likewise, there is not a single one of us who has personal experience with the next life, but the Resurrection of Jesus (one who has experienced that life) gives us proof that this life is not the end of the human experience.

Today’s text shows that our perspective on life after death influences our eternal destiny, our life-long desires, and our daily decisions.

Your life now determines your treasures at your later destiny (vv.19-20)

Matthew 6:19–20 (ESV) — “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Explanation

1.

The Bible only speaks of 2 destination after death – a place of torment that was created for Satan and his demons; and a place of peace and rest in the eternal presence of God.

2. Contrary to the common belief that there are many roads to the Heaven mentioned in v.20, Jesus unequivocally states in John 14:6 that He alone is the way and that no one comes to the Father but by him.

3. Dear friend, I implore you with all the persuasion I have and all that I am for you to stop relying upon your own good works or the teaching of any other religion and place your trusting reliance upon Jesus as the complete payment for your sin.

For the Scripture says:

1 John 5:11–13 (ESV) — And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.

12Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

13I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.

4. Jesus is speaking in Matthew 6 to those who know that they are going to Heaven by faith in the Son of God, and he implies “you don’t want to arrive at the party empty handed!”

Until 2 weeks ago I could say I’ve never seen a Herse pulling a U-haul.

The idea is that only 2 things are eternal – the Word of God and the souls of men.

Nobody takes his Bass Boat to Heaven.

Nobody takes that quilt you inherited from Grandma to Heaven.

Nobody takes their MVP trophy or their 4.0 GPA to Heaven.

All these things get divided up at the reading of your last will and testament.

The story is told of a man who made his wife promise that if He went first that she would put his fortune in his casket and bury it with him like the Pharoahs of Egypt did in the Pyramids.

She hesitantly made the promise.

When he died, she quickly moved all his assets into a joint-account with both his name and her name on the paperwork.

Just before his casket lid was closed and sealed, she placed a piece of paper on his chest.

When asked about the paper.

She told of the promise she made and revealed that the paper was a check for the full amount of their shared account.

She said if wherever he goes he can find a bank to accept that check, he will have full access to the treasure.

Illustration

1.

Some people have the idea that the treasures Jesus is speaking about are in some way a bigger or nicer mansion in Heaven.

The fictional story is told of New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady going to heaven and being shown to his dwelling which was a modest ranch home decorated in blue and grey.

He asked why he only received such a modest home.

St. Peter said that being an NFL quarterback gets lots of popularity on earth and is paid lots of money and gets the runway model for a wife, but SuperBowl rings aren’t that special in Heaven, after all gold is used for paving material.

Just then Brady noticed a huge mansion on top of the hill all decorated in red and gold with a huge Chiefs flag flying from the flagpole and sliding doors that revealed a Chief’s mancave.

Brady asked, “If being an NFL quarterback isn’t important here, why does Patrick Mahommes get such a nice place?”

St. Peter replied, “Oh, that’s not Mahommes’ place, that is God the Almighty’s place”

2. When those of us who are going to heaven meet Jesus we will be so thankful that we will want to give Him some token of our appreciation.

The only thing we will have to give Him are the rewards that He will distribute at the Judgement Seat of Christ when He give out the laurel crowns.

These crowns will be the gifts that it will be our pleasure to lay at His feet at the King of kings and Lord of lords.

Application

1.

To help us remember that life is not limited to the things of this world, I have asked our ushers to distribute a gift for each of you.

I remember in fifth grade when I was introduced to the candy “now and later”.

There was a small grocery story about a block from my school and many of the children would stop at Thriftway to buy packages of the various flavors of Now & Laters.

What made this candy unique was the way it was packaged with each piece individually wrapped so that you could have some now and some later.

2. If you choose to eat the candy now, I ask you to keep the wrapper in your Bible as a reminder of the message.

If you chose not to eat it now, you may want to place it someplace like your dresser or nightstand where you will be reminded that life has both now and later importance.

Transition: While it is true that Jesus’ resurrection points us to the reality of a later, eternal afterlife, Jesus also spoke about the current life.

Your life now reveals your desires (vv.21-23)

Matthew 6:21–23 (ESV) — For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22“The eye is the lamp of the body.

So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.

If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

Explanation

1.

A “single” eye normally meant a generous one but also sets the reader up for 6:24.

A “bad” eye in that culture could mean either a diseased one or a stingy one[i]

2. Most of us would agree that it is not wrong to be blessed of the Lord in this life, but when one has developed the sickness of greed and manifests the green-eyed monster, then it effects all other relationships.

3.

This would be a good time to clear up a common misquote of the Bible. 1 Tim 6:10 does NOT say that money is the root of all evil.

1 Timothy 6:10 (ESV) — For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.

It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many pangs.

Hebrews 13:5 (ESV) — Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

4.

There are many people whom the Lord chooses to bless materially, and they are able to “keep their eye generous/healthy”.

5. Conversely there are many people whom the Lord protects from wealth who have already developed “sick/stingy eyes”.

I don’t care if you identify yourself as a Capitalist or as a Democratic Socialist economically, Jesus is saying clearly and without stuttering, “Greedy eyes will influence your whole life and if the light of generosity goes out, the darkness that overcomes your life is really dark.”

Illustration

1.

I have met people who had accumulated more money than they could spend in 2 or 10 lifetimes who were truly generous to those in need.

I’ve met people who didn’t know how they were going to make rent this month who were obsessed with getting the last dime that they could.

2. I’m not denying the existence of systemic poverty and I don’t want to be accused of blaming the victim, but I think it is naïve to claim that high-crime neighborhoods would magically become moral examples with generous ethics if somehow more resources were transferred into those wards.

Application

1.

A life now that is marked by a desire to accumulate wealth is a sign of a sin-sick soul.

2. The remedy for sin sickness is not more money.

The remedy is repentance and asking God to change the desires of our greedy, selfish hearts.

3. A person now who sees Jesus as the greatest treasure will have a life that values that treasure.

When we love the people that He loves and value the things that He values, our life here has meaning and purpose and fulfillment.

4. When we love like Jesus, live like Jesus and leave behind what He left behind, we show ourselves to truly be His disciples.

Transition: We started with an eternal perspective, then narrowed down to lifelong aspirations, but Jesus moves the focus right down to individual, daily decisions.

Your life now and later is shaped by your decisions (v.24)

Matthew 6:24 (ESV) — “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and money.

Explanation

1. Mammon is a transliteration of the Aramaic word for “money”

If I said, “That lady is that little girl’s madre” many of us would know that is Spanish and is the name a Latina would use for “mother”.

Often when the New Testament uses transliteration instead of translation, it communicates a deep emotional attachment.

When Jesus raised the young girl he called out in Aramaic Talitha Kum.

When Jesus hung on the cross, he called out Eloi Eloi Lama sabachthani!

2. Jesus is saying that his listeners have more than a passing interest in money, they have a gut-level obsession for it that should be reserved for God himself.

3. Do not allow yourself to slip into the lie that more acreage, a bigger house, a fancier car, nicer vacations or more “successful” kids will serve as a suitable master.

4. In Deuteronomy a choice is presented to the people: