Series: All: All Authority, All Nations, All Allegiance
Scripture: Matthew 6:19-24
Title: Jesus’ Antidote to Anxiety (Darien Gabriel)
(See below for bibliography)
Summary of passage: Jesus lays out the principles and rules of kingdom living.
Bottom Line: Jesus teaches us to bank in heaven, keep our windows clean, and serve the right master to be free from anxiety.
Group Video Outline:
I. What do I want you to know?
Why? Because
II. What do I want you to do?
Discussion questions for group and personal study.
1. How does treasure in heaven compare to treasure on earth? What does each look like, and how are they different?
2. Why is it often easier to desire earthly treasures over heavenly treasures?
3. According to this chapter, how do you store up treasure in heaven? Are you pursuing any of these?
4. Does what you treasure show that you prefer God over this world?
5. This chapter teaches that you are to be single in your devotion. How does Christ's single devotion to his people empower his people to be single in their devotion to him?
6. What does it mean to be devoted to God? Is this devotion an inward, personal response, or is it an outward action? Why?
7. Why does Jesus contrast God with money as opposed to something else? What about money makes it particularly capable of being a master over people?
8. Why is money not able to provide satisfaction, security, and stability? In what ways is God alone able to provide satisfaction, security, and stability?
9. How do you lessen your desire for money and earthly treasure and increase your desire for God and heavenly treasure?
10. How is Jesus's previous discussion about prayer and fasting connected to Jesus's teaching about treasures and money? How do prayer and fasting (or the lack thereof) affect what you treasure?
Final Questions (optional or in place of above)
What is God saying to you right now?
What are you going to do about it?
Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcast
Intro
You can’t take it with you when you die.
There are no U-hauls behind Hertz’s in funeral processions. King Tut left all that gold behind that was entombed with him. We can’t it with us!s
But we can send it ahead.
Jesus deals with anxiety the next two weeks.
This week he uses money to get to the heart of the matter.
Next week he’ll use food, clothing and drink.
Paul gives us his command about anxiety in Philippians 4:6-7.
“Earthly treasures may leave us in this life. It is certain we will leave earthly treasures in our death.” -Akin
Treasures are things we value:
Possessions
Wealth, money
Looks
Brains
Education
“You can’t take it with you, but you can send it ahead.” -Randy Alcorn, The Treasure Principle
“Seek the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.” -Paul, Colossians 3:1-2
“Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.” -Jesus, Matthew 6:33
Akin says in 6:19-24 that Jesus deals with our priorities or what we treasure (truly value) head-on.
Jesus wants us to
have the right treasure,
Be single in devotion, and
Be single in master.
Quarles says vv. 19-24 “explicitly state the priorities that the model prayer (9-13) assumes.”
Outline
Who doesn’t want to be fully themselves without a care for what others think about them!
Who doesn’t want to be free from constant anxiety over the things of this world?
Jesus was. We can be too.
Q1. What do I you to know?
A1. Jesus teaches us that the life free from anxiety is the life wholeheartedly focused on the Lord Jesus and his agenda; his kingdom.
Q2. Why do I want you to know this?
It leads to anxiety-free life. Largely, stress-free.
Q3. What do I want you to do?
A3. I want you to:
Bank in Heaven .
Store up for yourselves treasure in heaven.
Randy Alcorn says it this way: “You can’t take it with you but you can send it ahead.”
Keep your windows clean.
Serve the right master.
Q4. Why do you want me to do these?
Because that’s where your wealth will last and multiply.
Because that’s how you will see where to go, what to do and how to do it. It’s how you light up your heart.
Because we’re all created to serve a master. Serving the wrong master leads away from a joyful, peaceful, wise life.
Conclusion — Summary story:l from Treasure Principle.
Imagine that you live in the US but get a 12 month job in the Philippines. And the company rules dictate that you can buy whatever you want there but it all has to stay there. Or you can invest it for later. Now you’re getting paid 5 times what you’d make in America but you are responsible for all of your expenses. How will you spend your money? Will you buy an expensive house? Expensive car? Will you buy all of the niceties for your apartment like big screen TV and build a deck out back? Or will you live simply? Buying what you need but sending the rest to invest in the future back home? I imagine the wise person will live frugally and invest in the future where they’ll spend the rest of their lives.
Bottom line antidote for anxiety.
Pray
My Notes:
Initial read and thoughts…
6:19-21
Don’t…
Do…
Why? Because heart; where do you want your heart ot be: heaven or earth?
6:22-23
Truth: eye is lamp (window) of the body. (Metaphor)
If: eyes are healthy (clean, open, un-shuttered), body full of light (good, God)
But, if: eyes are unhealthy, body full of darkness (no light) (evil, no God)
God is light! Jesus is the light of the world!
6:24
Truth: No one can serve 2 masters.
Why not? Because it’s just no possible.They both claim your allegiance which conflicts with the other. And their purposes are as different as light and dark.
Diving deeper…
Danny Akin’s commentary:
Jesus says…
I. Pursue heavenly treasures over earthy ones (19-21).
In life we make choices everyday. They can get complicated with all the choices.
Jesus Simple’s pointing out there are really only 2 places we can store up treasure: heaven and earth.
A. What you treasure shows what you value (19-20). Jesus is direct:
Don’t treasure the things of this world…why not? Because, earthly treasures don’t last
Stolen
Fade—high school memorabilia like my letterman jacket are gone; one shirt left
Forgotten—trophy’s in SHS trophy case covered in dust
It’s all hevel—a vapor; a wisp of smoke (use candle to illustrate) cf. Ecclesiastes
Do…therefore, Jesus says treasure the things that don’t fade but the things that last forever. How? See sermon on the mount. This is what Jesus is talking about throughout. It’s about the kingdom of God. And his kingdom is for this world—for this city! It’s
Suffering persecution for his name’s sake
Loving our enemies
Being generous to the poor
Fervent, sincere prayer
Humble fasting
Command
Constant vigilance
B. What you treasure shows what is in your heart (21). (Light or darkness)
Where is our treasure located? Truly it’s in your heart.
Cf. Luke 12:16-21—->ties v. 21 to 19-20, Parable of a Rich Man
“And he told them this parable: ‘The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, “What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.” Then he said, “This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, ‘You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; east, drink and be merry.’ But God said to him, “You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?”’ This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.” Luke 12:16-21
“In fact, the condition of our heart and what we value will become clear for all to see. Why? “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Basic truth: Our heart (thoughts, feelings, will) should belong to God.
He created us.
He redeemed us.
To love anyone or anything > we love Jesus = spiritual adultery or adultery of the heart
II. Pursue light over darkness (22-23).
Basic truth: light = good; we should pursue good over evil
1 John 1 “…God is light, in him there is no darkness at all…” 1:5-7
John 8:12 Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Matthew 5:14 Jesus said, “You are the light of the world…let your light shine before others that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
John 3:19-21 What do we love? “This is the judgment: The light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than the light because their deeds were evil. For everyone who does evil hates the light and avoids it, so that his deeds may not be exposed. But anyone who lives by the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be shown to be accomplished byGod.”
Basic principle: Pursue light
2 truths:
A. Be single in your devotion (22).
“Just as a window lets light into a house, the eye lets light into the body. Therefore, it is important that we have good, healthy eyes.
Good eye is one of fixed and single devotion. No fuzzy vision, double vision (2 masters), lazy eye. (My lazy eye surgery)
B. Be on guard against all self-deception (23). Evil is a sense of good (or corruption of good).
III. Pursue God over money (24).
The mark of a disciple:
His eyes are fixed on heaven. (Upward)
His spiritual vision is single, not divided, (Single-minded) and
He serves the right master. (Wisdom)
Piper says either
You are mastered by money and therefore ignore God or make him the servant fro your business, or
You are mastered by God and make money a servant of the kingdom.
“But if either tries to master you while you are mastered by the other you will hate and despise that other master.” -Akin
This is why we sometimes push back when a church or missionary invites us to partner financially with them in kingdom work. Because sometimes at those moments we’re exposed to our submitting to the master of money. (Or fear of loss) “This is why Jesus said it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom”
A. We can only serve one master.
Truth: No one can serve (fully, faithfully) two masters.
Think master—slave relationship.
Think what it’s like to work 2 jobs.
Think the tension between family and being in the military.
Implication: We were made to have a master in life. S. Ferguson
“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his…he cannot be my disciple.” Luke 14:26
Spurgeon
You can live for this world
You can live for the next world
But you can’t live for both
B. We can only satisfy one master.
Why is money the other master? “Jesus now specifies the #1 challenge to total and absolute surrender to his lordship: money.”
“Originally the word (money) meant ‘something in which one puts their confidence’” -Carson
Interesting that when we talk about the health of the American economy we talk about consumer confidence.
The issue isn’t what you have. (Rich or poor)
The issue is what controls you, for who or what we live. Which is back to what we value.
1 Timothy 6:17-19
Want true life? Don’t settle for being rich on earth. Pursue storing up heavenly riches, open windows, and single, wholehearted devotion.
References/Bibliography:
“Preaching the Word” Commentary, Douglas Sean O’Donnell, Edited by Kent Hughes
“Matthew” by RC Sproul
“Sermon on the Mount” by Charles Quayle’s
“The Sermon on the Mount: Kingdom Life in a Fallen World” by Sinclair Ferguson
Bible.org https://bible.org/seriespage/12-maintaining-peaceful-relationships-matthew-521-26
“CSB Christ Chronological,” Holman
“Jesus Manifesto” sermon series, by Darien Gabriel: https://youtu.be/x65i2tqFrXk
“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)
“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)
“Exalting Jesus in Matthew” by David Platt (CCE)
“Exalting Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount” by Daniel Akin (CCE)
Outline Bible, D Willmington
NIV Study Bible (NIVSB)
ESV Study Bible
ESV Gospel Transformation Bible (GTB)
"Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes" by Kenneth E. Bailey
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