MONEY AND POSSESSIONS: Matthew 6:19-24

SCRIPTURE

Matthew 6:19-24
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 eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but 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!

24 “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.

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

BIG IDEA

What we do with money and possessions matters for at least two reasons. First, how we use them reveals what we love (vv. 21). Second, they can be a powerfully enslaving false-god (vv. 22-24). Jesus says we should not treasure earthly treasures because they will not ultimately be able to satisfy us. They will wear out. Instead, He calls us to treasure heavenly treasures which will indeed satisfy. They are eternal. Jesus is the true heavenly Treasure. Every heavenly treasure is only a treasure at all because it affords us an opportunity to know Jesus more fully. Moth and rust cannot destroy Jesus. And thieves cannot break in and steal your relationship with Him. Therefore we should generously give our earthly treasures to help people meet the heavenly Treasure, Jesus. In addition to helping people meet Jesus, we should give to help people be loved and served like Jesus loves and serves us. “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).

DISCUSSION

1. Read Matthew 6:19-24 and discuss what stands out to you. 

2. Jesus says where you put your treasure reveals what you love. Can you give examples of what this looks like in people’s lives? If someone did not know whether or not you were a Christian, and looked at where you spend money, would they conclude that you love Jesus and His people? 

  1. If we find it very easy to spend money on entertainment or luxuries, our immediate comfort and happiness might be our real god. We’re looking to be wowed and awed or we’re looking to new things to give us that deep sense of joy.

  2. If we find it very easy to spend money on clothes or accessories, our appearance might be our real god. We’re looking to our personal appearance to get that sense of desirability and acceptability rather than looking to the love of God in Jesus.

  3. If we find it difficult to give our money away but easy to put it into a new house or car, that’s our real god. We look to that to make us feel important.

  4. If we find it very easy to save everything and live very frugally amassing our wealth, then our bank is our treasury and our security. We’re looking to our money to give us control in a very chaotic world.

3. Which of these things—immediate comfort/happiness, appearance, things, control—do you think you are most tempted to use money to get? In which of these areas do you need to confess and repent? Stop and pray for one another as you work through these 2 questions. 

4. If someone truly loved Jesus, how could they use the money and possessions they’re in charge of to help others meet Him? Try and be specific. How could they use them to serve people in need? Try and be specific. 

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