280 – Your Heart and Your Treasure – Berean Baptist Church

BIBLE INSTITUTE OF CORRESPONDENCE

COURSE: SOTERIOLOGY V LESSON # 80

SERMON ON THE MOUNT
(YOUR HEART AND YOUR TREASURE)

INTRODUCTION:

1. Previous verses of chapter 6 address our interest in men’s approval and applause, as opposed to God’s.
2. These verses deal with interest in earthly treasure, as opposed to heavenly treasure.
3. Our text does not teach that treasure captures the heart, though this is partly true.
4. Rather, it says that the heart and treasure will be found in the same place.
5. The teaching is that our conduct will be in keeping with our affections.
6. Is the eye single, i.e., is it on God’s will and His pleasure?
7. Is the eye evil, i.e., are you consumed with selfish interests and worldly lusts?
8. The one condition genders to growing light, the other to accumulative darkness.

I. THIS PASSAGE IS NOT AN INDICTMENT AGAINST WEALTH

2. Scripture teaches that righteousness may well gender to riches. (Pro. 11:25

, 13:4

, and Pro. 28:25

)
3. God purposes that we receive and employ earthly assets for His glory, and He gives accordingly.

4. Neither the possession of wealth, nor skill in the accumulation of it is wrong.
5. The biblical doctrine of stewardship supposes this.

II. SCRIPTURE CONDEMNS INORDINATE PREOCCUPATION AND LOVE

1. It is not money, but love of money that is the root of evil. (I Tim. 6:10

)
2. The penniless may be as easily ruined by this as the very wealthy.

3. The rich young ruler erred in this way, choosing money over life. Oh! what darkness!
4. But how many do it today for money, a raise, or a position?
5. Why? The light of their body is evil, it is for self and against God.
6. The rich man of Luke 12:21

did the same, though wise in the world’s economic knowledge.
7. But so did the poor, Achan, Judas, and Esau. What darkness was in them!

III. THE FORMULA TO FINDING THE RIGHT BALANCE

1. It is, according to our text, an eye that is single (i.e., a right perspective).
2. This means to view all things with an attitude of, “Lord what wilt thou have me to do?”
3. If this mind, which was in Christ, is in us, our whole body shall be full of light.
4. Not only will we have financial wisdom, but our real treasure will be in heaven.

III: A mansion below does not preclude one in heaven, but an inordinate love for it, makes it questionable.

5. Do you consider your earthly possessions a gift from God over which you surrender control?
6. Or, are these things your real treasure, which you really value most? (Mat. 19:22

)
7. Our proper order of affections is illustrated by: Job 1:3

, Job 1:22-22

, and Job 39:7-13

.
8. Job’s philosophy was right. “The Lord gave, and if He has taken away, or does take away, blessed be the name of the Lord.”

Berean Baptist Church