The Significance of Treasures: A Biblical Perspective
This week's exploration centers upon the profound significance of discipleship within the Christian faith. We delve into the essential concept of where our true treasures lie, drawing from the teachings of Matthew chapter 6. The discussion emphasizes that the investments we make in our spiritual lives yield eternal dividends, contrasting the fleeting nature of earthly possessions. Our commitment to following Christ is fundamentally intertwined with our ability to foster genuine relationships and guide others on their spiritual journeys. Ultimately, we are reminded that true discipleship requires a heartfelt dedication to Christ, manifesting in our actions and the way we lead others towards His teachings.
Takeaways:
- The podcast emphasizes the importance of investing our time, effort, and resources into discipleship to fulfill the Great Commission.
- We discussed the significance of valuing eternal treasures over earthly possessions, as emphasized in Matthew 6.
- Discipleship requires a heart dedicated to following Christ and a commitment to obeying His teachings.
- We explored how our actions reflect our values, highlighting the necessity of aligning our lives with the teachings of Jesus.
- The series encourages listeners to examine where their treasures are, fostering a deeper relationship with God and His mission.
- Ultimately, true discipleship is about embodying Christ's teachings and sharing His love with others.
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This podcast is produced by Ralph Estep, Jr., host of Financially Confident Christian, a daily podcast on Christian Finance you can find it at https://www.financiallyconfidentchristian.com
00:00 - Untitled
00:06 - Introduction to the Word of the Week Series
01:18 - Understanding Treasures: Earthly vs. Heavenly
05:30 - Setting Our Treasures: A Call to Focus on the Eternal
08:27 - Investing in Discipleship
09:13 - The Importance of Discipleship in Christ
Hello and welcome to the Middletown Baptist Church podcast, where we are proclaiming the truth to the world.
Speaker AIn this podcast series, we're going to be looking into biblical words that have great significance to our faith.
Speaker AThe name of this series is called the Word of the Week, where once a week we will dive deeper into these words that we are familiar with in scripture.
Speaker ASo come along with me.
Speaker ALet's study the Word of the week.
Speaker APastor Josh here with another word of the Week.
Speaker AThis week, we are going to conclude our study looking at discipleship.
Speaker AI hope that this has been a great study for you.
Speaker AI know it has been for me.
Speaker AIt's taught me how, number one, I can be a disciple of Jesus Christ, but number two, how I can point other people to be disciples of Jesus Christ as well.
Speaker ALast week, we looked at the idea of time and really looking at the concept of investing our time into other people.
Speaker AFor us to point people to Jesus Christ, it takes time, it takes effort, it takes sacrifice.
Speaker AAnd so for us as believers, we must understand the importance of what it means to follow the director of directive of Christ in Matthew chapter 28 that says for us to make disciples.
Speaker AThat's called the Great Commission.
Speaker AAnd so one last thing I wanted to talk about in the concept of discipleship is the idea of our treasure.
Speaker AWhere is our treasure?
Speaker AWhat are we valuing in our life?
Speaker AIn Matthew, chapter 6, Jesus is teaching his followers here about what it means to lay up treasures in heaven.
Speaker AMatthew 6, verse 19, it says, Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal.
Speaker ASo he says, don't focus on laying up treasures here on this earth.
Speaker AWhy?
Speaker ABecause the treasures that we accumulate here on this earth are going to pass away.
Speaker AThey're not eternal.
Speaker AThe.
Speaker AThe moth and rust will corrupt it.
Speaker AThieves can steal it.
Speaker AAnd you know what the truth of the matter is, is that every material thing that we have here on this earth can be taken away from us.
Speaker AIt can be destroyed.
Speaker AIt can be stolen.
Speaker ABut then what Jesus says in verse number 20 is in contrast to laying up treasures here in this earth.
Speaker AIt says, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven.
Speaker ASo he says, focus on the eternal things.
Speaker AFocus on the things that will last forever, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and where thieves don't.
Speaker ADo not break through nor steal.
Speaker AAnd so what is he essentially saying here?
Speaker AHe's saying this.
Speaker AThe things that you invest into the kingdom of God, the things that you invest into the things of God in accordance to his word, those things will last forever.
Speaker ANo one can take that away from you.
Speaker ANo one can take away your salvation.
Speaker ANo one can take away the blessings that we find in following Christ and then ultimately leading people to that same path.
Speaker AAnd so what we can see here is that what we treasure in our hearts, that will be where we place value in every other area of our lives.
Speaker AVerse number 21 says this, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.
Speaker AAnd so he says, what you treasure in this world is where your heart is going to follow.
Speaker AAnd where your heart follows is where your actions are going to follow.
Speaker AAnd so if we truly value the truth of Jesus Christ, if we truly value his call for us to be disciples, that is where we're going to set our hearts to.
Speaker AWe are going to set our hearts to following Christ with everything that we have.
Speaker AWe, we know that all throughout the New Testament, Jesus reminds us that to love him means to obey Him.
Speaker AAnd so if we treasure him and we treasure that relationship that we have with him, we will strive with all of our hearts to love him and to obey him and to point other people to that process as well.
Speaker AAnd so I love this passage here in Matthew, chapter six, because he talks about this idea of storing up treasures in eternity.
Speaker AAnd, and I think of another passage of Scripture that specifically speaks to the same concept, and that's in the book of Colossians.
Speaker AColossians, chapter three, verse one.
Speaker AIt says, if ye then be risen with Christ, and so you're identified with Christ, you are a believer in Jesus Christ.
Speaker AYou're following him.
Speaker AHe says, seek those things which are above where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
Speaker ASo again, the same directive here to set our minds and our hearts on the things which are above the eternal things.
Speaker AThere he says, seek those things.
Speaker AVerse 2.
Speaker ASet your affection or your minds and your hearts on things above, not on things on the earth.
Speaker AAnd so here in this case, what is he saying?
Speaker AHe says, don't set your affections, don't set your heart, don't set your love, don't set your minds to the things that are here and now that are going to waste away.
Speaker ASet your mind and your heart and your affections on the things of God.
Speaker AAnd what we can tell in Scripture is this.
Speaker AWe know that though we are using things here in this earth as tools to bring people to Christ, the only thing that's going to last forever are the things that God has called us to do in our spiritual walk, and that is to, number one, love him with all of our Heart, soul, mind and strength.
Speaker AAnd, and to love our neighbor as ourself.
Speaker AAnd if we love our neighbors, we will tell them the truth about who Jesus Christ is.
Speaker AAnd so ultimately, that's the concept of that treasure.
Speaker AWhere are we going to set our treasures?
Speaker AIn the things of God.
Speaker ANow, this could talk about multiple different things, right?
Speaker AIt could talk about spiritual service.
Speaker AIt could talk about sacrifice.
Speaker AIt could talk about even material finances that God has given us to invest our treasure into the things of God.
Speaker AAnd so where we.
Speaker AWhere our heart is, is where everything else is going to follow.
Speaker AAnd so the Bible teaches us as Christians, our heart should be set with Christ.
Speaker AOur heart should be set with his plan, his work, his eternal purpose.
Speaker AAnd so when we do that, everything else will follow.
Speaker AAll of our treasure will follow in that direction.
Speaker AAnd so if you could think about it this way, where is our time?
Speaker AWhere is our.
Speaker AOur talent, the.
Speaker AThe talents that God has given us?
Speaker AAnd where is our treasure?
Speaker AIf our.
Speaker AIf our treasure is set in the things of God, then we're obeying Him.
Speaker AIf our.
Speaker AIf our time is set in the things of God, we're obeying Him.
Speaker AIf our.
Speaker AIf.
Speaker AIf our hearts and our minds and everything about us is set as Romans chapter 12 says, As a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God, which is our reasonable service.
Speaker AIf, if we are completely given over to Christ, we're going to see things working through us, and we're going to see people coming to Christ, and we're going to see his plan being played out in our life.
Speaker AAnd that obedience brings us blessing.
Speaker AThat obedience brings us reward.
Speaker AThat obedience brings us joy.
Speaker AThat obedience brings us the confidence that our Savior loves us and that he is sustaining us and that he is strengthening us.
Speaker AAnd so to be a disciple means to have our heart set on Christ.
Speaker AIt means to have our heart set in His Word.
Speaker AIt means to have our heart set in the things that he has called us to do.
Speaker ASo it's enjoying that sacrifice.
Speaker AIt's enjoying that service.
Speaker AIt's enjoying that love.
Speaker AAnd so what I can tell you here today, when it comes to this concept of discipleship, it's not about just following a.
Speaker AA set of rules.
Speaker AIt's not just about following a set of curriculums or books.
Speaker AIt's ultimately following Christ.
Speaker AIt's ultimately giving ourselves over to him and then allowing that to be our motivation for our love, allowing that to be the motivation for our service, allowing that to be the motivation of our message to those that need Jesus Christ.
Speaker AAnd then teaching them right in discipleship comes teaching and we teach through different avenues.
Speaker AWe teach in the classroom, we teach from different areas of service.
Speaker AWe even teach, by the way, that we live our lives by example.
Speaker AAnd I would argue that teaching by example is the greatest action of teaching, right?
Speaker ABecause we can say one thing, but doing something else is.
Speaker AIs what we would consider hypocrisy, right?
Speaker ASo if I tell someone, hey, follow Jesus this way, and then I in no way show any dedication to what I have just said, my message is not going to be heard.
Speaker AIt's not going to resonate.
Speaker ABut the message that is aligned with our action will resonate.
Speaker ASo it's walking the walk, not just talking the talk.
Speaker AAnd so, as we conclude the study in discipleship, I just want you to think about that passage there in Matthew, chapter six.
Speaker AWhere is our treasure?
Speaker AWhere are we investing?
Speaker AYou know, a lot's to be a lot.
Speaker AThere's a lot to be said about investments.
Speaker AAnd in our world today, obviously there are good investments and there are bad investments.
Speaker AThere are investments that can have great return.
Speaker AThere's investments that maybe can come back on us.
Speaker AAnd, you know, it could be seen in a loss.
Speaker ABut at the end of the day, what we invest into the kingdom of God will never return void.
Speaker AIt will never, never return to us as a loss.
Speaker AEvery investment that we make for the cause of the Gospel, every investment that we make for the cause of the truth of God will return to us in dividend form in a great way for.
Speaker AFor not just the next 20, 30, 40, 50 years, but for eternity.
Speaker AThe Bible says that there's eternal reward with following him and serving him.
Speaker AAnd so just wanted to share that here today as a brief study in one of the aspects of discipleship.
Speaker AAnd so this series has been a series that has challenged me in the concept of following Christ.
Speaker ARemember what Jesus said?
Speaker AHe said, if.
Speaker AIf you want to be my disciple, follow me, follow my word, continue, abide in my word.
Speaker AEven in John 15, we're reminded of the fact that we are, we are not divine.
Speaker AHe is divine.
Speaker AJesus is divine.
Speaker AWe are the branches.
Speaker AWithout him we can do nothing.
Speaker AThere is no fruit, There is no success.
Speaker AThere is no victory outside of a relationship with Christ.
Speaker AAnd so that's what we point people to.
Speaker AWe don't point people to a system or a program.
Speaker AWe point people to Christ.
Speaker AAnd as we point people to Christ, they're able to find that forgiveness, they're able to find that satisfaction, they're able to find that hope.
Speaker AAnd then hopefully, as second Timothy two, two says, that they can pass that on to other people around them so that they can pass it on to other people and that can continue as God has planned.
Speaker AAnd so I hope that this has been a great study for you.
Speaker AI encourage you to share this with somebody else and also too just to continue on with our series here with the Word of the Week here on the Middletown Baptist Church podcast.
Speaker AWell, God bless you.
Speaker AHope you have a wonderful rest of your week.
Speaker AWe will come back and talk to you soon.
Speaker AHey, I really appreciate that you listened to the Word of the Week podcast.
Speaker AIf you have any questions about the podcast or about our church, Middletown Baptist Church, you can find more information about us on Facebook or or YouTube or you can find the podcast on NBCPodcast.org you can contact me directly at Josh Massaro at middletownbaptistchurch.org stay tuned for future Word of the Week episodes where we dive deeper into words that impact our life according to scripture.
Speaker AThank you so much.
Speaker AGod bless.
Speaker AWe'll talk to you soon.
