The Heart Follows Your Investments
Text: Matthew 6:19-24

A husband and wife were attending a county fair where, for twenty dollars a person, a man was giving rides in an old airplane. The couple wanted to go up but they thought $20 a person was too expensive, so they tried to negotiate a lower price.
“We’ll pay you $20 for BOTH of us TOGETHER,” they said to the pilot. “After all, we’ll both have to squeeze into that tiny cockpit that was built for only one person.”
The pilot refused to lower his fare, but he made a counter offer.
He suggested, “Pay me the full price of $20 EACH, and I’ll take you up. If you don’t say one word during the flight, I’ll give you ALL your money back.”

The couple agreed and got into the plane.
Up they went, and the pilot proceeded to perform every trick he knew, looping and whirling and flying upside down and lots more. Finally, when the plane had landed, the pilot said to the husband, “Congratulations!
Here’s ALL your money back; neither of you said a single word.”
To which the man replied, "Thank you, but I have to say that you ALMOST GOT ME when my wife fell out.”

I would like to start by asking you a question?
What would you consider to be your most PRIZED POSSESSION?
Some might say:

• Home
• Family photos
• Car
• Computer System
• Smartphone
• A Collection of Some Kind
• Home Entertainment System
• Jewelry

Throughout history, humans have been drawn to hidden riches — from ancient gold hoards to legendary cities — and many of these treasures are still the subject of searches today.

1. Copper Scroll Treasures (Israel)
A 2,000 year old Dead Sea Scroll claims to describe 160 tons of gold and silver buried in 63 locations across modern Israel. Scholars debate whether the wealth has already been looted or remains hidden.

2. Knights Templar Treasure
Few legends have captivated the human imagination as powerfully as the story of the Knights Templar and their supposed hidden treasure. Tales of secret vaults, buried gold, lost relics, and coded maps have persisted for centuries. The medieval order’s vast wealth, allegedly smuggled out of France in 1307, is said to be scattered worldwide. Some artifacts have been found, but the bulk of the treasure’s fate is unknown.

3. Lost City of Paititi (Peru)
Spanish missionaries and storytellers from the 16th–18th centuries described a wealthy jungle city rich in gold, silver, and jewels. No definitive proof exists, but it remains a popular target for explorers.

4. Fabergé Imperial Eggs (Russia)
Ornate eggs made for Russian tsars, only 44 of which survived. Some were lost during the 1917 Revolution, and at least one may still be hidden. One of these Fabergé Imperial eggs sold for $33 million in a private transaction.

5. Florentine Diamond
A clear, pale-yellow stone weighing 137 carats; and cut as a double rose with 126 facets. Once owned by Charles the Bold, duke of Burgundy, who lost it when he fell in battle in 1477. Its last known location is unclear, and it may still be missing.

We live in a world that constantly tells us that success is measured by what we own. Bigger houses, newer cars, larger bank accounts, and more possessions are often seen as signs of a successful life. Yet Jesus asks a probing question: What are you really living for?

In Matthew 6:19-24, Jesus addresses the heart of the matter.
He does not condemn possessions themselves. Rather, He is warning against allowing possessions to possess us. He calls us to examine our treasures, our vision, and our master.

“19. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal;
20. but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.
21. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22. “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light.
23. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!
24. “No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.”

I read an interesting statistic a few months ago that said that researchers have determined that the average American spends up to 80% of his or her waking hours making money, spending money, or worrying about money.

What does “WHAT YOU TREASURE” Reveal About Your Heart?
A study was done to reveal how far people in the United States are willing to go for money. They started with; what would you do for $10 million and then asked people if they would do the same for $5 million and then $2 million.
After $2 million the percentages came down drastically.
However, for at least $2 million, people responded they would do these things for money:

(25%) Would abandon their entire family
(23%) Would become prostitutes for a week or more
(16%) Would give up their American citizenship
(16%) Would leave their spouses
(10%) Would withhold testimony and let a murderer go free
(7%) Would kill a stranger
(3%) Would put their children up for adoption

But Jesus warns in Luke 12:15 – “And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

In our text for today Jesus contrasts two kinds of treasures: Earthly treasures are temporary. Jesus mentions moths, rust, and thieves. In His day, wealth might be stored in expensive garments, metals, or valuables hidden in homes. All could disappear.

The same is true today.

• Money can be lost.
• Investments can fail.
• Homes can decay.
• Health can decline.
• Possessions wear out.

Nothing on earth lasts forever.
Heavenly treasures are eternal.
They cannot be destroyed, stolen, or taken away.
We store treasures in heaven when we:

• Worship God faithfully.
• Serve others selflessly.
• Share the gospel.
• Invest in God's kingdom.
• Live in obedience to Christ.

Jesus then gives a profound principle:
"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Notice He does not say, "Where your heart is, there your treasure will be." He says your heart follows your treasure.
If we invest our lives in temporary things, our hearts become attached to temporary things. But when we invest in eternal things, our hearts become increasingly devoted to God.

In 1918 some 548,000 Americans died of what we know as the flu. Today influenza is no longer a threat, but “affluenza” is. Here are the symptoms of affluenza:

a. Desire for more and more, despite what we already have
b. Insatiable drive to be successful without ever experiencing contentment
c. Practice of consistently choosing career over family
d. Unchecked yearning for more possessions and wealth
e. Unwillingness to settle for less than the best of everything

That famous poet, ANONYMOUS… wrote the following:

Possessions weigh me down in life;
I never feel quite free.
I wonder if I own my things,
Or if my things own me?

What we accumulate on earth is definitely temporary--Jesus said: Moths can eat it.
In Jesus’ day, wealthy people considered their clothing as part of their treasure. Fine clothing was made out of wool and sewn together with golden thread. We all know how much moths like wool.

Another marker of wealth in Jesus’ day was storehouses full of grain. Mice, rats, worms, and insects can destroy stored up grain

So we need to ask ourselves, what receives our time, attention, energy, and resources?
The answer reveals what we truly treasure.
SO, How do we store up treasures in heaven?
I would like to propose these three important deposits we can make in our heavenly bank account:

Deposit 1: Worship
“Not only does worship move and delight the heart of God, it helps restore our perspective on what is truly valuable in this life.”

Deposit 2: Christ-like Character
The Bible clearly teaches us that if we want to lay up treasure in heaven, one of the best investment strategies is personal character development. We should make every attempt to strengthen our character in a way that honors God.
This is expressed with crystal clarity in 1^st Peter 3:8-9 with the words,
“Finally, all of you be of one mind, having compassion for one another; love as brothers, be tenderhearted, be courteous; 9 not returning evil for evil or reviling for reviling, but on the contrary blessing, knowing that you were called to this, that you may inherit a blessing.”

Deposit 3: Expressions of Generosity
Jesus calls us to express His love, kindness, and compassion to those in need. When we do, we are storing up treasures in heaven where rust can’t corrupt, moths can’t eat, and thieves can’t steal. It’s a great investment plan!”
Revelation 14:13 – “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.”

And, I want to add one more deposit to that list:

Deposit 4: Leading others to Jesus Christ
When you get to heaven, what a joy it will be to see all of those with whom you shared the gospel.
It might be your children, your friends, your neighbors, other relatives, even the lady who waited on your table at your favorite restaurant or the fellow behind the counter at the convenience store.

Won’t it be a grand time to hear: “I’m here because you shared your love of Christ with me.”
1^st Peter 1:4 calls our deposits “an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you...”
1^st Peter 1:3-4 - “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance [b]incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you,”

Then in verses 22&23 of our text Jesus shifts from treasures to eyesight.
Matthew 6:22-23 - "22. The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. 23. But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!"

The eye represents our spiritual focus and perspective. A healthy eye is fixed on God and His kingdom. It sees life from God's perspective.
When our focus is clear:

• We recognize God's blessings.
• We seek His will.
• We live with eternal priorities.
• Our lives are filled with spiritual light.

BUT IN CONTRAST… An unhealthy eye is distracted by greed, selfish ambition, and worldly desires.
When our vision is distorted:

• We lose spiritual perspective.
• We become consumed by materialism.
• Darkness begins to influence our decisions.

A person may have perfect physical eyesight and still be spiritually blind.
The real question is: What are you looking at?
Whatever captures your attention eventually shapes your direction.
A ship crossing the ocean stays on course because it fixes its direction on a target. If it drifts just a few degrees off course, it may end up hundreds of miles from its destination.
Likewise, when our eyes remain fixed on Christ, our lives stay on course.
Jesus concludes with one of the most direct statements in the Sermon on the Mount:
Verse 24 of our text states that: "No one can serve 2 masters."
A servant in biblical times belonged entirely to one master. Divided loyalty was impossible.
Jesus says we cannot serve both God and money.
The word "money" here is often translated mammon, meaning wealth, possessions, and material gain. Jesus is not saying we cannot have money. He is saying money must never become our master.

Why?
Because both God and money demand our trust.
God says, "Trust Me."

• Money says, "Trust me."
• God says, "Seek first My kingdom."
• Money says, "Seek security in possessions."
• God says, "Give generously."
• Money says, "Hold tightly."

Eventually, every person must decide
What are we really living for?
WHAT IS THE FOCUS OF OUR HEART?

Conclusion
Jesus presents us with three searching questions:

1) What is your treasure?
2) Are you living for things that will pass away or for things that will last forever?
3) What is your vision?

Are your eyes fixed on Christ and His kingdom, or are they distracted by the world's values?

Who is your master?

Are you serving God wholeheartedly, or are you trying to divide your loyalty?

One day every earthly treasure will be left behind.
The only investment that will never lose its value is the one made in God's kingdom.

It has been said:
"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."

May each of us choose treasures that last, maintain a clear spiritual vision, and serve God as our only Master.

Invitation
Today, Christ calls us to loosen our grip on earthly things and tighten our grasp on eternal realities.
Let us surrender our hearts, focus our eyes on Him, and serve Him alone.
For where our treasure is, there our heart will be also.