Where Your Treasure Is, There Is Your Heart

April 25, 2022 · Mark

Series · Mark · Week 8 of 26

Scripture referenced 3 passages

The passage this message was preached from, in full, with every other passage it reached for.

Mark 10:17-31 the main passage read and expounded through the entire sermon

17 As he was going out into the way, one ran to him, knelt before him, and asked him, “Good Teacher, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?”
18 Jesus said to him, “Why do you call me good? No one is good except one—God.
19 You know the commandments: ‘Do not murder,’ ‘Do not commit adultery,’ ‘Do not steal,’ ‘Do not give false testimony,’ ‘Do not defraud,’ ‘Honor your father and mother.’”
20 He said to him, “Teacher, I have observed all these things from my youth.”
21 Jesus looking at him loved him, and said to him, “One thing you lack. Go, sell whatever you have, and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me, taking up the cross.”
22 But his face fell at that saying, and he went away sorrowful, for he was one who had great possessions.
23 Jesus looked around, and said to his disciples, “How difficult it is for those who have riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!”
24 The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus answered again, “Children, how hard is it for those who trust in riches to enter into God’s Kingdom!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through a needle’s eye than for a rich man to enter into God’s Kingdom.”
26 They were exceedingly astonished, saying to him, “Then who can be saved?”
27 Jesus, looking at them, said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God, for all things are possible with God.”
28 Peter began to tell him, “Behold, we have left all, and have followed you.”
29 Jesus said, “Most certainly I tell you, there is no one who has left house, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or land, for my sake, and for the sake of the Good News,
30 but he will receive one hundred times more now in this time, houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, and land, with persecutions; and in the age to come eternal life.
31 But many who are first will be last; and the last first.”

World English Bible · Read it in another translation
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Matthew 6

quoted to explain storing treasure in heaven versus earth, and on serving two masters versus money

1 “Be careful that you don’t do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.

2 Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don’t sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

3 But when you do merciful deeds, don’t let your left hand know what your right hand does,

4 so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

5 “When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.

6 But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.

7 In praying, don’t use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.

8 Therefore don’t be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.

9 Pray like this: ‘Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.

10 Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.

11 Give us today our daily bread.

12 Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.

13 Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.’

14 “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.

15 But if you don’t forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

16 “Moreover when you fast, don’t be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.

17 But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;

18 so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.

19 “Don’t lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;

20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don’t break through 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 sound, your whole body will be full of light.

23 But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is 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 else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can’t serve both God and Mammon.

25 Therefore I tell you, don’t be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn’t life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

26 See the birds of the sky, that they don’t sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren’t you of much more value than they?

27 “Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?

28 Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don’t toil, neither do they spin,

29 yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.

30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won’t he much more clothe you, you of little faith?

31 “Therefore don’t be anxious, saying, ‘What will we eat?’, ‘What will we drink?’ or, ‘With what will we be clothed?’

32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.

33 But seek first God’s Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.

34 Therefore don’t be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day’s own evil is sufficient.

World English Bible · Read it in another translation

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Romans

quoted at length on how no one is made right with God by the law, but by faith in Jesus

Read Romans

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Recap

The message in order, in a few minutes of reading.

Pastor Blake walked through Mark 10:17-31, the encounter between Jesus and the rich young man, and traced a single question underneath the whole passage: is God's will the treasure of your heart?

What was said

The verses just before this story set the frame. Jesus told his disciples that the kingdom of God belongs to those who receive it like a child, with no status, no achievements, and total dependence on another. That childlike humility and trust is the posture Jesus is after, and it runs all the way through what follows.

The rich young man comes running and kneeling, asking what he must do to inherit eternal life. He reports that he has kept the commandments since he was young, and Pastor Blake noted that you can hear him looking for affirmation, for Jesus to confirm that he has earned his place. But Jesus does not affirm that. Instead, he looks at the man and feels genuine love for him, which Pastor Blake called his favorite verse in the whole passage. Jesus is seeing this man at a soul level, not just as a box-checker, and because he sees deeper, he goes deeper.

What Jesus asks the man to do, sell everything and follow him, is not a general rule about wealth. It is a targeted question about where this particular man's trust actually lives. Pastor Blake put it plainly: Jesus is asking whether the man is willing to surrender the confidence he has placed in his good record and his possessions, and put that trust in Jesus instead. The man's face falls and he walks away sad, which Pastor Blake described as the heartbreaking center of the encounter, because Jesus genuinely loved him and was offering him something greater than anything he owned.

The disciples are stunned when Jesus says it is harder for a rich person to enter the kingdom than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, because the common assumption of the day was that wealth signaled God's favor. Pastor Blake was direct that this assumption is not true and is not what Jesus taught. The question Jesus puts to the disciples, and to the room, is whether salvation can be earned or purchased at all. His answer is that humanly speaking it is impossible, but everything is possible with God.

Pastor Blake brought in Paul's letter to the Romans to press that point. The law, he said, does not get anyone in; it shows us how far short we fall. What makes a person right with God is placing faith in Jesus, the sacrifice made in our place. The rich young man was willing to call Jesus a good teacher but not to actually trust him and follow him, and that gap is where the whole story turns.

The closing verse, that the greatest now will be least and the least will be greatest, was the preacher Blake's reminder that God's value system runs opposite to the one most people operate by. He ended where he began, with the question of treasure. Wherever the treasure is, the desires of the heart follow. He applied it personally, saying he has a long way to go himself, and named two things the story calls all of us to surrender: the pride of believing we are good enough on our own, and the grip we keep on our possessions.

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Here is a guide we have prepared for you: the passages in order, questions for the group, and room to write.

The pastor described children as having no status, no achievements, and being totally dependent on others, and said Jesus holds that up as the model for entering the kingdom. What do you find hardest about approaching God with that kind of dependence?
When Jesus looked at the rich young man, the text says He felt genuine love for him and saw him at a soul level. What does it mean to you personally that Jesus sees you that way, not just as someone checking off a good list?

and 3 more questions in the guide

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Find in this transcript

Speaker 1That's true. Alright. I'll try. Alright. Hey.

Welcome, everybody, and welcome to another Monday night. And good to have visitors. It's good to have I wanna mention just a couple of things. Number one, food. Barb.

Barb over here and Scott and Ferry, thank you guys so much for for dinner tonight. And and then I wanna make a couple introductions. Well, one that you don't need, the Eon family. So June first Sunday in June will be there last Sunday. But I just want you to know that you can receive emails and get updates from them.

And that little black table right there, if you sign your email address, you can you can get those. And I will personally love getting emails from you and staying informed. And then the other, Dominic and Vasile, could you just stand up just for a second? Please. These folks, I I would love for you to meet at before you leave tonight.

They're a part of a little grassroots organization called Jeeps for Peace. And the best way that I could describe it is Scotland, but that right there. Oh oh, Blake says, no. Not that. Pickup trucks and supplies frontline workers in Ukraine.

Is there a better way to describe Dominic Dominic that you would say in Vasyl? By the way, Vasyl lives in Ukraine, and and Dominic in Edinburgh two met together. And now they are they're right there, front lines rescuing folks who need rescuing from the front lines and getting them to safety, getting supplies because ambulances are are being bombed targeted. And so these guys are are are using these four wheel drive vehicles to rescue people. They are doing a good work.

I got to hear about it this week, and I am so impressed. So would you please check out Jeeps for Peace on the Internet? They're I've got an active group. Heather's working on a a website and domain forum. But I just wanna tell you, I I really believe in what these these folks are doing.

It is it is beautiful what they're doing. Would you add anything to that? Yep. Yep. Thank you, guys, so much.

It's so good to have you. So good to have you. Hey. What do you say? So we're in the gospel, Mark.

It's conversation style. But before we get into that, can we sing just a couple songs together and worship? Here's a psalm. You we wonder, why why are we singing? You know?

Sing psalms and sing, sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs with grateful hearts. There's a reason. But also this psalm right here, let everything that has breath praise the Lord. I mean, we've been given breath. Hey.

Why not? Let's sing the one who made us.

Speaker 2All that you need in me is.

Speaker 1And here's what he is.

Speaker 2A comforter, counselor, prince of peace, author, baker of everything, fender, deliverer, king of kings, he is helper and healer forevermore, savior and shelter through every storm, a refuge,

Speaker 1God, we sing of it, but would you show us tonight how all that we're needing, that you are that you are our comforter and our our counselor and our prince of peace, author and our maker of everything. Lord, would you draw our hearts to you? And and, as we, listen to the scripture tonight, Lord, may it do the good work. You do the good work. Nothing that I say that does on either convicting or convincing or any of the persuading, but really it's it's you who does the work in us.

God, would you speak to us how we need to hear from you? And we pray this in Jesus' name. Amen. You can have a seat here for a moment. Let's get into Mark.

Alright. Gospel according to Mark. Here we are. Chapter 10, 17 through 31. I've just been going through book by book, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, just saying what it says, and, there's always something to hear.

There's always. This is where Jesus speaks to the rich young man. And, right now, in the gospel of Mark, Jesus, I'd say, he's really getting to the heart of, the kingdom of God. The kingdom of God and and and how we enter it specifically. So, like, the the verses right before the the ones that we are gonna read tonight.

This is beautiful, by the way, and this is part of the reason why we do, what we do down the hall with Awana. Jesus says, let the children come to me and don't stop them. Like, let's not hinder these kids from from from meeting Jesus. For the kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. Unless we receive the kingdom of God like a child, we'll never enter it.

And and so we've gotta ask ourselves then, well, what is it about children? What is it about children that we should should emulate? How should we be like them? They don't they don't have status. They don't have power.

They don't have achievements, really, to to speak of. They're totally dependent on others for their needs. And it's like Jesus is saying, yep. Yep. That's that's that's it.

That I I want you to be like that. I I want that childlike humility and that trust and that dependence. That's how we're to enter the kingdom. And that's what I see in this conversation here that follows is with with the rich young man, that following Jesus and entering the kingdom, it's more than checking off boxes. In fact, it's not checking off boxes.

Do this. Don't do that. Be a good person. I what he's really saying here, I think, to all of us is to humbly trust and depend on him. To humbly trust and depend on he's asking this man and this story for God's will to be the treasure of his heart.

So more than the stuff he owns, his possessions, all that stuff, he's he's asking, hey. Will you let God be the treasure of your heart? And so I wanna just go ahead and read, and I wanna make sure we're saying hearing the same thing here. Okay? And, and I'll comment as we go.

And would you please take note of what stood out to you, what you hear in this so we can bounce it around some more at the conversation time and encourage each other with it. So it's Mark ten seventeen through 31. It says it says this, as Jesus was starting out on his way to Jerusalem, which is just a huge statement in itself. But what's so amazing about this right here, what's so profound is Jesus is heading toward the cross. He's going to Jerusalem.

He's headed toward the cross. In humility, he is completely depending on God's will for him. So Jesus has not asked us to do anything that he has not done himself. He's setting the example. That's the God we serve.

He's setting the example in humility and depending on God. He's asking us to do that, but he's doing that first. Does this make sense? And that's an encouragement, isn't it? That's good.

Alright. So a man comes running up to him, and he knelt down, and he asked, good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life? So in reverence, he's asking an honest question here. So he believes Jesus is good. We'll see a couple verses down.

He believes he's pretty good too. But I want you to take a look at this. 18, Jesus answers his question with a question. Why do you call me good? Jesus asked.

Only God is truly good. Which I wonder, I don't know if this is true or not, but I wonder if this was kind of a prompting question from Jesus. Would this guy acknowledge Jesus' deity? That Jesus is God? That Jesus is truly good?

I don't know. I don't I don't understand exactly why Jesus asked the question with a question, but he does say this in 19. To answer your question, mister mister Guy, you know the commandments. You must not murder. You must not commit adultery.

You must not steal. Testify falsely, cheat anyone, honor your mom and dad. So most likely, this guy's a he's a Jewish leader, maybe a a member of the Sanhedrin, the Jewish court, dealt with religious issues. Whoever he was, Obviously, some position, prominent position, power of some kind, some wealth. And he's going and Jesus is saying to him, you know these.

They're they're they're not unfamiliar to you. You know them. And the man agrees, verse 20. Teacher, the man replied, I've obeyed all these commands since I was young. So pretty confidently, he's saying, oh, yeah.

I'm I'm doing all the right things. And I I get a sense that he's looking for affirmation here from Jesus. You know, I've been doing all these things since I was young. Jesus said, I'm good. Right?

I've earned a spot in heaven. I'm good. Right? And look at this. Looking at the man, Jesus felt genuine love for him.

And that's my favorite verse of this whole this whole thing right here to me because Jesus cared deeply about this man's deepest need. He he he looked at him at a soul level. Are you are you with me? That's how Jesus sees us. He sees us as a soul, not just a person who's checking off boxes and a good list being a good little Christian boy, but he's looking at his soul level feeling genuine compassion and love for him, and he sees deeper.

He sees deeper, I think, than than others could because he says there's still one thing you haven't done. Go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you'll have treasure in heaven, and then come and follow me. And if I were to say this in my own words, I would say, Jesus is saying to this man, yep, you've obeyed the commands, but are you willing to surrender all that you've put your trust in? So that pride that you have in all your good works and your wealth and your possessions, are you willing to surrender the trust that you've put in those and put that into Jesus and follow him? Are you with me?

Do that, and you'll have treasure in heaven. I think Matthew six really speaks to this. Jesus said, don't store up treasure here on earth. Moth eats them, rust destroys them. Thieves break in and steal.

Store your treasure in heaven where moths and rust cannot destroy. Thieves do not break in and steal. This is a I think an important verse that kinda sums up the whole of the teaching. Wherever your treasure is, the desires of your heart will also be. And so I think Jesus gets to the core.

He's he's he's digging deep here. What does this man treasure most? What's in the heart? What's at the center of his being? What are the desires of his heart that make him tick?

Right? And 22, this this is tough. This is hard. At this, the man's face fell, and he went away sad for he had many possessions. And to me, that is the heartbreaking part of this encounter because Jesus genuinely loved this guy.

Right? As we're reading it, we know Jesus genuinely loves this guy. He's looking so deep. He knows just what this man needs, and he's offering him a greater spiritual wealth than the man's earthly wealth could ever give him. And would I get, like, an amen or a yes.

I I agree. Like, I've been offered a greater spiritual wealth than any kind of earthly wealth that I I I've gotten that from God, I can say. But it says that he went away sad. He went away sad because he had a lot of stuff, and he didn't wanna part with that stuff. '23.

Jesus looked around and he said to his disciples, how hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God. In '24, this, it says, it this amazed them. And and we gotta go, well, why would it amaze them? But it amazed them because it was a common belief in that day. And I want I'd like to know if you you if you would agree with me or not.

But a common belief that wealth is an indication of God's favor on a person. So if you had wealth, you had God's favor. And if you were poor, it's a sign of God's displeasure and judgment. I I've heard it. I've I've seen that.

I've seen that kind of thinking, that mentality. It's not true. It is not true, and it's definitely not what Jesus taught about the kingdom at all, but it was a common belief. Jesus said again, dear children, it is very hard to enter the kingdom of God. In fact, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.

And the best way that I could interpret that, I'm just gonna I'm gonna interpret scripture with scripture. You know? What Jesus said with what Jesus said is is what he said in in Matthew six. He said, no no one can serve two masters for you will hate the one and love the other. You'll be devoted to one and despise the other.

You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. And I I think there it is again. There's that where our treasure is, there our heart is. The disciples were astounded. Well, who in the world can be saved?

They asked. Like, if they've been taught, hey, wealth equals God's favor, The more they give, the more favor they have. And then Jesus says what he says about the camel and the needle. Well, who on earth can be saved? And let's let's see Jesus answer.

He looked at them intently, and he said, humanly speaking, it's impossible. But not with God. Everything is possible with God when it comes to salvation. So salvation, being saved, having having that spot in heaven. Right?

Having favor, having, a right standing with God. By human effort, biblically, Jesus says, impossible. Impossible. We can't earn our way into the kingdom, and we can't buy our way into the kingdom. We've gotta believe our way into the kingdom.

Everything is possible with God. He made the way. He asked us to believe it. Believe in the one he sent. Paul affirms it in in Romans.

And can I share this? It's a little bit long, but it's for no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. So you think about the rich young ruler. Have I done it? Have I done it?

Am I in? Am I in? The law simply shows us how sinful we are, that we fall short, that we couldn't we couldn't do it. We couldn't meet that standard. But now God has shown us the way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law as was promised in the writings of Moses, the prophet, long ago.

Catch this, 22. We're made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus. And this is true for everyone who believes, No matter who we are, for everyone's sin, we have all fallen short of God's glorious standard. Yet, here's the good news, God, in his grace, that favor that he shows, that undeserved favor, he gives to us. He makes us right in his sight.

And he did this through Jesus when he freed us from the penalty of our sins for God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for our sin. In our place for our sin, he went to the cross. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. That's that's the good news of the gospel. And I think what we're seeing here is that there God requires more than just a reverence for Jesus or as a as a good teacher.

Oh, yeah. He's a good teacher. Jesus asked the the rich young man to trust him and to follow him, not just think of Jesus as good, but to actually trust him and follow him and to submit to God's rule and reign over every aspect of his life. Everything. And, Lord, help us.

Right? That's my that that when I see this, I go, Lord, help me. Because it is a very it is a very difficult thing to do to to surrender every aspect of my life. Right? To submit to God's rule and reign in my life.

But by God's grace and in his power, it is possible. '28. Peter began to speak. Jesus, we've given everything to follow you. Like, we we've given everything.

And Jesus replied, yeah. And I assure you that everyone who's given up a house or brothers or sisters, mother or father, children, or property for my sake or for the sake of the good news will receive now in return a 100 times as many houses, brothers, sisters, mothers, children, property, along with persecution. And in the world to come, that person will have eternal life. I'm not a big rewards guy. I don't tend to focus on rewards.

But if you're the person that is going, well, what if I do? What if I do count the cost? Jesus is saying here, that there's treasure in heaven, 100 times what you've what you've given. Yeah. I I I don't tend to dwell on that part.

I'm more about the follow-up part. That's where I'm gonna end. But it's it's here. It's here. And then we'll end with, 31.

But many who are the greatest now will be the least important then, and those that seem least important now will be the greatest then. So think about this in that context back then. They're looking at these uber rich, religious people, and they're giving a lot, they're going, oh, man. They must have the most prominent place in the kingdom. And Jesus is going, nope.

They don't. They don't. That those who seem least important now, they'll be the greatest. So God's value system is very, very countercultural to ours, and I think we notice that through the Bible, don't we? It's very, very countercultural.

But to summarize, if I were to kinda sum it up, I'd say, where our treasure is, our there there's our heart. There's our heart. And Jesus is really looking under the hood in this story. And what is he looking for? What is he looking for from this this young young wealthy man?

What he's looking I believe what he's looking for is that God's will would be the treasure of that man's heart. That that's what I see in the story. God's going, is God's will the treasure of your heart? So personal application, is God's will the treasure of our heart? I've got a long way to go, my friends.

I'm just telling you. Confessional preaching here, I've got a long way to go. A willingness as his disciples to surrender a pride and possessions alike. Because you noticed in the story, his pride was saying, I've obeyed all those commands since I was young. I'm good.

Right? It's it's our willingness to surrender our pride of, I'm a really good person, and that's all I need, and possessions alike, that my stuff is just stuff, and I can't take it with me And just accumulating stuff, it it it it doesn't lay up treasure in heaven. It's these intangible things that are laying up treasure in heaven. And that's one of the things I I love about Jeeps for Peace is that that's what it's it's it's doing. It's it's part of the kingdom, God's will on earth as it is in heaven, drawing people away from the the front lines who've been injured and hurt.

We're going to war. We're we're trying to grab people out of a very difficult place and love on people the way that God has loved us. So those are just a few thoughts, from the the scripture tonight, and and I would I would love to hear yours too. Well, pass around a a microphone. Please don't be intimidated by that.

It's just it's part of the conversation, and and we record. And in fact, Blake, maybe we could take the recording part out because this conversation could be just for this room and not not it doesn't have to be for for those who are listening at home. I I think it'd probably be best just to to have that conversation right here. But if there's a verse or word of encouragement that you'd like to share, I I do wanna give you an opportunity. But before we do, can I pray one more time?

God, I thank you for putting this this good word in in front of us tonight. And, Lord, would you help us? It is not easy to submit to your rule and reign over every aspect of our life. But when we see what you are offering, life and life to the full measure, that you're offering us a greater contentment spiritually than wealth, just physical wealth, possession stuff could ever offer. Because that's what you do.

You feed and satisfy the deepest longings of us, our soul. Thank you. May we discover and rediscover, God, what you're really offering us and seek that and seek you. Seek your kingdom. In Jesus' name, amen.

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Eternal Life Following Jesus Rich Young Ruler Treasure In Heaven Wealth And Faith

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