Today we continue the series The Joy of Discovering Hidden Treasure.

   Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV) "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Alcorn – My heart always goes where I put God’s money.

1. Our Eternal Rewards. If you think Heaven is just a place where you sit on a cloud and strum a harp for eternity, you will probably dread going there. But on the other hand, if you read the Word and believe it, Heaven will be an exciting place of worship, of relief from pain and sorrow, of receiving rewards for our faithfulness, and most of all, seeing Jesus. Wow! Think about this; Jesus notices everything we do in His Name. God keeps very good records of all we do. Matthew 10:42 (NIV) “And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

2. Store Up for Yourselves Treasures in Heaven. Matthew 6:19-20 (NIV) "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.” Alcorn – “If it were wrong to want rewards, Christ wouldn’t offer rewards as motivation. Rewards are God’s idea, not ours. Love for God, love for people, and compassion for the poor are all vitally important. But these motives for giving are in no way contrary to the fact that God calls us to be motivated by rewards.” 

3. Our Hearts in the Right Place. How tightly are we hanging on to the things, the treasures, of this world? How many treasures are we laying up in Heaven by our extreme generosity? Why is that important? It shows us where our hearts are. Matthew 6:21 (NIV) ^“For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Alcorn – My heart always goes where I put God’s money. What we do with our money doesn’t simply indicate where your hearts are, according to Jesus, it determines where our hearts go. Our hearts follow our treasure…show me your financial records and I can show you where your heart is.