Amen. Well, thank you for the special and great, great song. The music tonight goes right along with the message. The Lord knows what He's doing, amen. The last congregational hymn, Living for Jesus. Amen, looking for the, well, our treasure. Our treasure is His smile on us. The day is coming. We will see Him. It's coming. And we would be wise to prepare for that day. If the Lord tarries and we live to be Older people can't work and keep up with the workforce anymore. We're gonna have to retire and We would be wise to prepare for that day of retirement, you know, the Lord tells us Places in the scripture to prepare for that day, you know, don't squander everything you get just because you've got it and then The day comes you can't work and you can't eat either because you didn't save anything up for that day, you know We would be wise to prepare for our retirement For those years that we're not going to be able to work like we used to be able to You know, we would be foolish to not think about those days and prepare for those days Many have come to those days without anything laid up without anything prepared for it and they are miserable they just they're very dependent and they feel shameful that they're dependent and a burden to so many to their loved ones because they didn't save a little aside and prepare for those days you know how much more so When we are in heaven With the Lord for all the rest of eternity and have done nothing to prepare for the rest of eternity Having nothing to show for this life in all the rest of eternity Just considering our life our existence and I've seen so many preachers try to illustrate with long, long strings and cords. This is our eternal existence, stretching across the chapel or the room. Once in Fiji, a guy tried this and had a long cord all the way across. And just a little tiny piece, this is our life on earth and all the rest is eternity. And this little piece that we have on earth, All that we do will determine how it will go with us all the rest of eternity. So just this little portion of life that we have here on earth in this life, we would be foolish to just waste it away in pleasure, riotous living, foolishness, and all the rest of eternity have nothing to show for it. Yeah, literally if we know we are eternal beings We know we're gonna be with the Lord in heaven if we're born again, you know that you're saved You know, you'll be with God in heaven forever If you're not saved you will not be with God forever and you will suffer in torments in hellfire forever and ever the Bible says and God did not plan for us or purpose for us to be in hellfire and The devil and his angels in pride went against God and they were kicked out of heaven. And the Bible says that hell was prepared for the devil and his angels. But we as human beings, we also were lifted up with pride. Rejected God's teachings God's Word God's ways and went after our own ways and committed sin against a holy God and by our sin We're separated from God and because of our sin We have a place also in hell a place that is prepared for the devil's angels but thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ and Who died for us to save us when we could not save ourselves when no church could save us. No religion could save us Thankfully he came and gave his life's blood as a perfect sacrifice that can wash away our sins And give us peace with god and we can be with him for all eternity Amen, and what a great privilege that is to get to know the lord and what a great privilege it is to get to hear the gospel to hear the truth That somebody would tell me one day, you know, you're a sinner Who likes to be called a sinner who likes to be told or reminded of their bad deeds that they've done? we don't like that, but Thankfully, I think the Lord somebody was willing to tell me these things that you've done are wrong These are sins in God's eyes. You've sinned against a holy God with that sin. You can't be in a holy place You cannot be in heaven Somehow that sin must be removed, must be forgiven, washed away so that you can be in a holy place called heaven, where God dwells, where God sits on his throne. Amen. Jesus is the only one who can take that sin away. The only one. There's nothing we can do to outweigh the good deed, the outweigh the bad deed, or nothing we can do to wash away or take away that sin. We are condemned. But Jesus came, died for us to save us, to take away that sin so we can be reconciled to God and get to know Him and have eternal life. Now, as children of God, we know that we're going to go on with the Lord forever and ever. Our faith that we have experienced in Him, the gift of the Spirit of God, the burden of sin is gone. I have never felt condemned for my sin since I've been born again. You know, the day I put my faith in Him, the weight of sin was lifted. I was so free. I was light. I was excited. I wanted everybody to know how to get saved. I want to make sure they all got it like I got it. You know, I gave all my testimony Wednesday night, the first Wednesday night that we were here. And you know, right? It was a Wednesday night, wasn't it? Okay, yeah All my days are mixed up. Yeah, because we missed a whole day Sunday, but anyhow We were in the air and it just jumped ahead of us but Being with a bunch of Christian people growing up in church Every you know, I was saying I was saved but I wasn't saved, you know, not until I realized I'm a sinner Somebody explained you're a sinner. You need a Savior and You know, and having John 3.16 memorized, I quoted it to myself, and I knew that if I just put my faith in Jesus, He'll forgive me. He'll take away that sin, and as soon as I call upon Him to save me and forgive me, that sin was gone. I was so light, I wanted to convince all of my Christian friends that they were lost, and that they need to get saved again, because I wanted to make sure that they got it like I got it. Because I was also saying I was a Christian, but I was a lost Christian. There are lost Christians, and there are saved Christians. Amen. And those who are saved, you know you're saved. Because God gives us the Spirit to dwell in us. His Spirit bears witness with our spirit that we are the sons of God. 1st John, hereby I know you that you are the children of God by His Spirit that dwelleth in you. You know, God lets us know that we are His. We know we're His. We've experienced that peace of God, the joy of the Lord that just Something that nobody could ever experience without putting their faith in Christ, you know it by that experience and I'm not talking about You know the tongues saying all this movement this supernatural thing that just happened. No, I'm just by faith in Jesus Christ Calling upon him the sins gone and great peace and great joy, a surety of my salvation instantly. I knew where I was going. I knew God loved me and he saved me. And just that experience. Also, we know that we're going to be with him forever. We would be wise to prepare for those days. Live for those that lay up your treasure, put your retirement in heaven. So when you get there, you're going to have something to go with you for all the rest of eternity. Amen. Too easy we get caught up in the world, too busy with the cares and the affairs of this life, and we miss out on great opportunities. Opportunities that will not make a huge not only make a huge effect in this life for others But opportunities that will go with us for all eternity, you know to the glory of God Amen, and just you know these songs living for Jesus Given our life to him You know just if you don't know what it is to live for God if you haven't experienced the joy of the lord the peace of god the that fulfillment and satisfaction in christ that comes through living for the lord try it out see if it's not real you know don't do it for earthly gain because you're not going to get anything out of it it's all it's dead works but try it live for god give your life to him walk with him walk in the spirit make him first number one in your life and walk with him and just see if there is not something in this Amen, you'll experience a life that is fulfilling and satisfying and you'll never regret it If you will go and get your bibles out and open your bibles to the book of matthew chapter 6 The lord in the sermon on the mount or the beatitudes In matthew chapter 6 the lord gives us a kind of a warning uh in his teachings that we don't Lay up treasures on earth don't live for this life But live for the life that is to come Use this life use this opportunity to prepare for that which is to come Amen, this is your only chance This is your only opportunity just a small tiny portion of all your existence This tiny piece will make the difference for all the rest of eternity one way or another The rest of eternity, according to the scriptures, for a Christian could be filled with regrets or be filled with gratefulness, thankfulness, depending on how we live, how we serve. Amen. Prepare, lay up your treasure in heaven. Have your retirement ready. Live for it. Put some aside, if you will. You know, if that's the way I must put it. Matthew chapter six, this whole chapter, the main theme is that we live for God, putting our treasure in heaven so their heart will be for God in heaven. Just gave you the whole conclusion But we're gonna go through some scriptures and you'll see how all this the Lord gives illustrations and examples To show us that we better prepare and lay it for treasures in heaven. So your heart will be in heaven We don't want our heart our love to be for carnal things for this world It's emptiness. It's all vanity read King Solomon's Message and Ecclesiastes He gave himself to experience everything the sons of men upon the face of the earth were doing, just to know why do they do what they do. Everything, he said. There's nothing that people do that he did not give himself to try out to see why they're doing this. And in the end, as he's older man, he says, all is vanity. It's all vain, all emptiness, dead works. The only thing that was not dead was to live for God. Obey Him, live for Him, enjoy the work that He gives you. That's your portion. That's the portion in this life. Amen. And so I hope we can take the wisdom of God's Word and apply it to our life. Let's go ahead and pray and ask God to bless the reading of His Word here and we'll get right on into it. Dear Heavenly Father, we thank you, Lord, for giving us this Bible and these teachings that we can read and learn of you and we can grow and be encouraged, even just reminded that we don't put our heart and our treasure in this world. It's empty. but that we might put our treasure in heaven that we might love you and live for you and serve you just give our life to you lord i pray that you would bless this congregation today bless us all with faith the faith that we need to trust your word and to just obey you and do these things help us to take these words and apply them to our life and so that we can be wise and prepare for all the rest of eternity that it might go well with us that we might look back and be so thankful and satisfied i hate to think that at the end of my life i would look back and be filled with regrets how foolish god give us wisdom help us to live for you help us to be wise enough to just give it all to you and live for you and experience the amazing life that you have for us and experience what it is to live the rest of eternity filled with fulfillment and thankfulness. Lord, I pray that you would fill me with your spirit. Help me, Lord, to just have a clear mind and give me clear words to be able to make sense of the word of God, to help everybody to understand the interpretation and the meaning of this, what it means for us. Lord, I pray that you would be with the congregation as we go through this at this short time in our life. Lord, I pray you'd help us to block the cares of the world out of our mind and help us to pay attention to the reading of your word and the preaching of your word. If our mind begins to drift, Lord, help us to acknowledge it. Bring our attention back and just listen that we might get something out of this time, that we might be strengthened and spiritually encouraged. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen. Amen. Matthew chapter 6, we'll start reading off in verse number 1. And just the Lord gives us some examples here, what it's like to be laying up treasures on earth, wasting life away. And as we go through this, you can see how he uses religiousness, religiousness as an example that people give themselves to religiousness Is that even a word? They give themselves to a religious life in vain because their motive is not right. It wasn't for the Lord, it was for self. So, not just living a life in the world, but even... I understand I'm talking to a crowd of church people. I'm not talking to a lost crowd in the world who I'm trying to challenge to get saved and start living for God. I'm talking to church people, because I know that I can get distracted. and start focusing on earthly things because of all the demands of life. I understand. So the Lord gives us an example to religious people and lets a bunch of religious people know that there could be a chance that all your religiousness is vain. at dead works. So, Matthew chapter 6 verse number 1, the Lord says, take heed that you do not your alms before men. Y'all know what alms are? Alms literally is giving to the poor. That's what alms is, giving to poor. And this does not only apply to giving to the poor, any giving that we do. Because the Bible even says in the book of Proverbs that when we give to the poor, we lend unto the Lord. who will repay you know God will repay so God blesses any kind of giving we do whether it's a hobo on the street or we give to our tithes and our offerings or missions or to help a brother sister or a neighbor that's in trouble just to be whatever we give God sees that and he always gives back he has promises all of a while he will give back Amen, and so what we give take heed that we don't do this to be seen of men. Otherwise We have no reward of your father of which is in heaven Verse two, therefore, when thou doest thine alms, you know, when you give, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, they have the reward. I know in church, we don't sound a trumpet when people are about to give, so people look, oh, the trumpet, what's that sound? Oh, look at him giving, wow. But I have seen, have you guys been, anybody been in church for at least 20 years or longer? If you've been in church for at least 20 years, maybe you have seen this also Sometime along the way but I have seen people pull out money for the offering and they'll pull a dollar out there's as noisy as they can be crinkling that paper and Stretching it and poppy. Oh just really And when the plate comes they just To get some attention So and it's funny it's like a $1 bill I've seen that too but you know it we don't want to give to be seen of men because When we give to be seen of men when men see us, that's the reward in heaven nothing There is a chance that you could give and actually get nothing back from the Lord. If you do it to be seen of men, when men see you, that's your reward. Nothing from heaven. What a bummer. I hate to think that I'm, you know, sacrificing and giving and people see me and that's it. That's my reward. Maybe a pat on the back. Oh, you're a special person. Look at you. What good does that do me? You know, but in our pride, we can do things wanting to be seen of men, to be recognized as some spiritual great person. you know the devil's clever to get this pride going in us so don't you don't do it to be seen of men you do this giving to be seen of men when they see you that's your reward you know and that's it nothing in heaven but when you do give for the lord in secret you have treasure in heaven not only do you have treasure in heaven whatever you give that it's an account in heaven Not only do you have treasure in heaven, but God rewards you in this life. He rewards you on earth. That's a win-win situation. Amen. We're far better off to just give with a pure heart, to honor the Lord, to serve Him, to please Him. Amen. And so, continue on in verse number three. But when thou doest thine alms, letting up thy left hand knoweth thy right hand doeth, that thine alms may be in secret, and the Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly. Amen, and when thou prayest thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets that they may be seen of men Verily I say unto you they have their reward But thou when thou prayest enter into thy closet when thou has shut thy door Pray to thy father which is in secret my father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly Amen pray in secret don't pray to be seen of men and just an example and I'm not accusing anybody of anything don't just an example if we are called upon to pray For whatever in a ladies meeting a lady called on or a church or man or whatever But if we're called on to pray and we think oh now's my chance to shine And just go on with this nice sounding theological a bunch of hoopla a bunch of hot air blowing into the sky and you know it literally is what it is you know we're just we're going to impress everybody and uh when we were in Fiji Pastor Simeon would know this guy so I'm not going to say any names Oh, yeah? I'll tell you a secret. You can reward me openly. So there was this preacher there in Fiji. Whenever he's called out to pray, it was his chance to shine. He was going to let everybody know. And there was another preacher. that was traveling through and he was sitting in the congregation and I'm sitting behind this other preacher that was just passing through visiting and this other preacher was called upon to pray the one who would love to shine and wax eloquent or wax elephants you know when he's preaching and so they call upon him and he's So he goes on this nice big fancy. I mean it sounds really good and he's sounding as good as he possibly can. And it's so obvious this guy's heart is not for the Lord. He's doing his best to be seen of men. It's real obvious. You know sometimes he's just plain obvious. And when he was finished, this other preacher who was visiting, he turns back and he looks at me and he goes, now that's a man of God. And I'm thinking, where's your discretion? Weren't you paying attention? But some people, they just really want to shine and put on a show. We have to be careful when we pray. If we're called upon to pray in church and we think, oh, I'm going to shine, they're going to see, and I'm spiritual, and that's our intent as we're praying. When they see us and say, wow, that's a spiritual guy. That's a reward. Our father didn't hear a word. We just led the congregation in a dead prayer. Emptiness, just religiousness, you know, and we don't want what we do in church to be empty. You know, we want God involved in everything we do, because everything we do is to the glory of God and the edification of the saints. You know, we want to get something out of this. You know, I don't want to go to church and get nothing out of it and go away like most dead religions in the world. I would come to church, I want to get something out of it. Amen, and that's why I try my best to pay attention to the preacher my mind drifts so fast I already told you but my mind will drift right know the preaching and I realize I'm not listening. I bring my attention back I say God, please help me to listen. I want to get something out of this Help me to learn something, you know, I get or be challenged or refreshed and something already know just encourage me I want to know and you know, I bring my attention back and try and pay attention I want to get something out of it. I don't want to come and sit and Go away empty, you know worthless, you know, god's not impressed with religiousness. God wants that relationship Amen, he wants to speak to us and minister to us So when we pray we don't want to lead a congregation in dead prayer or just wax eloquent To for a pat on the back, you know, it's it's all dead works. These are treasures on earth that come to naught You know and so he goes on also besides the giving and the praying Verse number seven he says but when you pray Use not vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking I'm not gonna labor much on this but Hindu Muslim and Catholic their prime example you know the catholic how the hell marries anybody here was catholic before Yeah, so, you know the hell marries count your beads, you know the rosary each bead has its own special prayer If you're in trouble you count through those beads hoping through your vain repetition God's gonna be impressed and he's gonna answer your prayer. You know, you're in trouble. The priest says go say 50 Hell marries and count your beads four times through and then god will hear you or forgive you or whatever You know god's not impressed with this vain repetition. It's empty. It's dead works God is our father We are his children. How would you like your children to come to you and repeat the same phrase again and again and again, waxing eloquent, trying to impress you, and you're looking at them, what do you want, kid? Just tell me. Quit wasting my time. Just get to the point. You know what I'm talking about. You know the kids can come they can ramble around and all over just say it. What do you want? Surely the Lord's like that because he says but when you pray he's not vain repetitions as the heathen do for they think that they're through They think that they shall be heard through their much speaking but be not either for like unto them for your father knoweth what things ye what things you have need of before you ask Him. God knows why we're coming to Him. He already knows. Just ask Him. Just talk to Him. like a friend but in honor because he's your god amen abraham was a friend of god you know you walk with him talk with him enoch walked with god you know all of a sudden he was not which is a sign of the rapture amen one day we're gonna be walking with god and hey where'd they go they're not they're gone amen and you know just walk with the lord and talk to him he already knows You know, just come to Him and be straight. And, you know, have that good relationship with the Lord. You know, not this vain, empty religiousness. Amen? Because God's not impressed. And so we're going to skip the sample prayer that the Lord gives us because we're going to come back to this later. Not tonight, but another time. So look on down at verse number 16. He says, moreover, when you fast, be not as the hypocrites of a sad countenance, for they disfigure their face, that they may appear unto men to fast. Verily I say unto you, they have their reward. But when thou fastest, anoint thine head, wash thy face, that thou appear not unto men to fast, but unto thy father, which is in secret. And thy father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. Amen. Again, another religious thing that I've seen people do. Some like to boast that they were able to fast for so many days. And if they only told me as a close friend, that would be one thing, but we weren't close friends. And I heard them tell many other people also about how many days they could fast. to be seen of men. You know, look at me. Look what I can do. Look how spiritual I've been. And the reward, that's the reward. Men see it. Oh, great. Good job. Pat on the back. That's the reward. That fast. I hate to be hungry. Anybody like to suffer hunger? Anybody take pleasure in suffering hunger? Just go with, you know, that pain in your gut. And I don't, just thinking about fasting, I feel empty in my stomach. I do. There have been times where God, you know, the Holy Spirit will lead you to fast for a reason, you know Get close with God or something's gonna come up that you really need to be close to the Lord with and you're gonna need that closeness for wisdom and strength and make the right choice, you know Holy Spirit will lead you according to God's will God knows the future, you know what's coming and Sometimes the Lord will be leading me to fast and I just really feel pressed and I just keep thinking about fasting instantly I feel empty in my gut. I'm looking for something to eat. I'm gonna load up before I fast But I just I don't like going hungry Maybe I was a cranky kid. We have a son Luke. He was so cranky if he smelled food He wanted to eat it and he would follow Renee while she's cooking just whine and murmur and complain Until finally and she would tell him get away from me. He would drive her nuts But you know, we we don't like to go hungry. I would hate to think that I would suffer hunger for several days for nothing for a pat on the back or to be recognized by somebody, oh, he's a spiritual guy, good for you. Oh, what'd that do for me? For somebody to think I'm spiritual, what does it do? Nothing, it did absolutely nothing. You know, so I just hate to think of fasting. When we were in Bible college, we came and we sat down and some of my friends were sitting down and eating and another friend comes along and he sits down with his tray, a bunch of food and sits there and he just sits back and he's not eating. And we're all eating and enjoying and talking, fellowship, and he's not eating for a long time. And then my friend Tim looks at him and says, hey, why don't you eat, man? Enjoy it. And he says, oh, I can't right now. He looks at his watch. He says, it's almost whatever time, 12 or 1 or something. It's almost when my fast is over, I'm going to start eating. So he came and put on this show, let us know that he's fasting. And so Tim looks at him and says, man, you might as well eat now. You just got your reward. He was honest with them. And they kind of shamed him, but it's true. He was letting us know he was disfiguring his face. He was just sitting there like so hungry. Why don't you eat? You look hungry. If we're fasting, don't disfigure your face and go around so pitiful and pathetic like. Oh, I'm so weak today. What's wrong? Oh, I'm fasting. You know, it had no use. We just lost it. You know, just wasted the reward. But you know, when you fast, anoint your hand, wash your face, go out, look fresh. You know, put on that fake smile. You know, you're really hurting, but just put on a fake smile and pretend like everything is good until the fast is over. Don't tell people that you're fasting, you know. Now, this is not to say that when you're living in the home with people and you fast, they know you're fasting. You know, but you don't have to announce it. It looks spiritual. You know, they know you're fasting. Oh, he's not eating. Must be fasting. You know, and so that's fine. You're not doing it to be seen of men. You understand? And sometimes you fast, people know it. You can't stop that. You know, but still, don't just for your face look so pitiful and pathetic and, oh, poor person, you're so spiritual. And, you know, you just lost your reward. You know, so just we don't need to be doing religious works or living out our Christianity to be seen of men. It's all about our motive. Why am I doing this Christian work? Am I doing it to be seen of men? Am I doing it for self-gratification, self-glory? If we are, it's dead. All that works, all the Christian works, all the Christian service, dead works. We don't want to serve God with pretense, and it'd be wasted away, be dead. That's all treasure on earth. You know, doing things to be seen of men, that's treasure on earth. You know, do it for the Lord, to the glory of God. Put that treasure in heaven. When God sees you fast and secret, He rewards you openly. Amen. And when He rewards you openly, it's God doing in you and through you, which those are rewards in heaven. That work is permanent. That work is eternal. when God does it through us. Amen. The eternal works. But our work is all temporal, wood, hay, and stubble, or, as you can see here, it's laid up on earth where moth, rust, death, corrupt, and thieves break through and steal. Just empty, wasted life. We'll continue reading on down. In verse number 19, he says, lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth. where moth and rust doth corrupt and where thieves break through and steal. You get what the Lord's saying? He didn't change pace, he didn't change his story or conversation. Talking about doing these religious works to be seen of men, they saw you, that's a reward, that's treasure on earth. And you do it in secret, God will see in secret, God will reward you openly and you have treasure in heaven. Amen, those things are gonna that's your retirement That stuff goes with you forever Amen, so but lay up for yourselves verse number 20 But lay up for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rest doth corrupt and where thieves do not break through nor steal For where your treasure is there will your heart be also Amen Where your treasure is There will your heart be also I Man, I have so many examples in my mind. A prime example that always stands out to me typically would be a mother with a mentally or a disabled child. He's very dependent on the mother and she just cares for him and cares for him. That's her treasure. That's where her action is going. That's where her affection. That's where her time is going. That's where her treasure is. She has a heart for him. And those kind of kids usually don't live as long as most people. And they die at a younger age. And when they die, it's so hard on the mother. Because that's where her heart was. That was her treasure. You know, where you're putting your affection and your time, that's your treasure. And where your treasure is, that's where your heart is going to be. Amen? If we're living our life out for worldly gain, worldly pleasure, or glory, or prestige, we're living our life out for things that pertain to this world, our heart is gonna be for the things of this world. You know, the Lord says, set not your affection on this earth. You know, put your affection above where Christ sitted at the right-handed throne of God. You know, don't have affection for the things of this world. This world, the Bible uses the term carnal. The word carnal means world, worldly, flesh, fleshly, that which pertaineth to the world. You know, and we don't want to live a carnal life. The carnal mind is enmity with God. The Bible says if a hearts in this world if our treasure is here our hearts gonna be here and yet we're a Christian Under pretense. We might even pretend like we're serving God but putting our treasure here and our hearts here We're wasting our life wasting our Christianity Well, what's wrong with that besides having nothing to show for the rest of eternity Let's keep reading Verse 21, again, for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also. For the light of the body is the eye. If therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. Well wait, first he says single, and then he says evil. You'd think he would say if it's not single, then it would be double. You know single double but instead of saying double he just uses the word evil The double-minded man is unstable in all his ways And how foolish it looks for Christians who profess to be children of God loving God come to my God He's the truth, you know all that stuff, you know, you need my God, but it's all dead works It's all vain our hearts here our treasures here They're not fooled You know, it brings a reproach to the cause of Christ. It brings a reproach to the work of God. When we profess to know the truth and have the truth and be walking in the truth, but there's no difference. it brings a reproach to the work of God and in God's eyes it's evil that double-mindedness is no good well maybe I can serve God and have I can have half my heart for the world and half my heart for God and I can get the best of both worlds here again if your eye is single your whole body is full of light if your eye is not single but evil or double your body is full of darkness and he says verse 23 again but if thine eye be evil thy whole body shall be full of darkness if therefore the light that is in thee be darkness how great is that darkness no man can serve two masters for either he will hate the one and love the other or else he will hold to the one and despise the other you cannot serve god and mammoth you just can't You can't be double-minded this doesn't work if we're gonna try and be double-minded Christians get the best of both worlds It doesn't work. It's it's all dead works It's all wasted away There are too many Christians too many Christians living this life double-minded They love the world. The world is in their home, in their life, and then they go to church and try and serve God, and then they're back in the world, and they love it, and their treasure is on earth. It's all gonna be gone one day. It's all gonna be taken away. Wrath and must, wrath must, moth and rust doth corrupt. Thieves will break through and steal. In other words, he's saying these works will come to naught. they will be taken away. This is not going with you. Not only is it not going with you in God's eyes, this is an evil form of Christianity because it brings a reproach to the work of God. It does. You all know it does. I know it does. Does that sound good? We know and we understand, but so easily, so quickly, We can start going back to our heart, going back to this world, back to the earth, laying up treasures on this earth, wasting our life. This is something we have to keep ourselves in check continually because we live in a world that continually demands and draws and pulls us. Even the natural man is just, it's a natural bend to the world, and the world is continually demanding our attention, demanding our time, demanding our affection, demanding our wealth. The world demands everything of you, continually. So there's a constant battle just always going on. We've always got to keep ourselves in check. Am I living for the Lord or am I living for this world? Am I pretending my Christian life? Am I double-minded? Am I evil? Is my eye evil? Am I full of darkness in this situation? God is not fooled. He knows our heart. He knows if the light that is in us is darkness. He knows where our heart really is. You know, put your treasure in heaven. Start doing things for the glory of God, to the glory of God. Start doing things where your treasure is, where you're putting your time, your treasury, your affection, where you're putting that, that's where your heart's going to be. Amen, you want to enjoy the things of God you want to enjoy walking with the Lord you want to enjoy God Start putting your treasure in the Lord start putting your treasure in heaven start doing things for his glory You'll start having a heart for God and for the things of God Amen, but as long as we're putting our affection our time our treasure into this world our hearts going to be for the world And God hates that. The double-minded man is unstable in all his ways. I've tried this in the ministry. I've been double-minded, you know, back and forth, back and forth, and looking back at that time, it was all dead works. What a waste. Literally, what a waste. I don't ever want to go back to that. I can't, because I'm still in this flesh. If I'm not careful, I can quickly go back into that. We have to always keep ourselves in check. In closing, I just want you to see this verse. I've mentioned it a couple of times. Look in 1 Corinthians chapter 3. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. A lot of you already know this one. You might even have it memorized by heart. 1 Corinthians chapter 3. First Corinthians chapter three, verse 11 through 15. This is this example along with Matthew chapter six there. First Corinthians chapter three, verse 11. The Bible says, for other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. now if any man build upon this foundation if anybody builds upon jesus christ as their savior in their christianity their christian life the works that you do you're building upon it upon this foundation says if any man build upon this foundation gold silver precious stones wood hay stubble every man's work shall be made manifest For the day shall declare it. It's going to happen. This day is coming. The day shall declare it. You understand? For the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire. And the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built thereupon, he shall receive a reward. If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as by fire. It's pretty simple, isn't it? That doesn't need much explanation. All the works that we do will be tried by fire. Our motive for why we do what we do will determine whether it's gold, silver, precious stones, or a wood hand stubble. If our motive in our Christian works, in our Christian life, if our motive is to be seen of men, to get a pat on the back, to be recognized, For worldly gain, whatever it might be, that's all wood, hand, stone. That work we've already seen, the Lord says, is going to rust away. Thieves will break through and steal. The moth will eat it. It will come to naught. And here, he just makes it clear, it's going to be tried like as if your works were going to be put in a fire. All the works that you did that had the wrong motive, it's going to burn up. It'll be gone for all eternity. Everything we do in this life that's for self is all gonna burn up The things that we do for God to the glory of the Lord Gold silver precious stones. We will receive a reward for those things that reward goes with us for all eternity So, not only do we have a better life, that more abundant life. You know, Jesus says, I come to give life, life more abundantly. You know, lose your life for my sake, you gain it. Not only do we gain life and have more abundant life, living for the Lord, serving Him for His glory and honor, but we also have reward. We have a retirement in heaven that will go with us for all the rest of eternity. Amen. We can't lose. We can't lose either way. But this flesh, this flesh can make us miss out on great things in this life, can make us miss out for all the rest of eternity. The natural man is our self. Self is our biggest enemy. We've got to have control of self. The Bible says in the book of Proverbs, a man that cannot rule well his own spirit is like a city that's broken down without walls. The enemy can come in and spoil him and do whatever he wants. There's no defense. You know, and the devil will come and spoil us and waste us and no defense. We've got to have control. We must be determined. I'm going to live for God. And I'm going to prepare for that future. I'm not wasting his life away. We must be determined. Amen. If we're not determined, that natural bend is just going to pull us and we're going to waste our life away. Amen. Don't let your treasure be here. Your treasure is here. Your heart will be here. Your heart's here. God hates it. The carnal mind is enmity with God. It's against God. Amen. Put your treasure in heaven. Start doing things for the Lord. Your heart will just go there. Amen. And you'll have great rewards waiting for you. With everybody's heads bowed, everybody's eyes closed, we want to have an invitation time here. Just invite you to pray and talk to the Lord. If you want to come to the altar as the music plays, the altar will be open to you. You want to come and just talk to the Lord and ask God to give you that wisdom and strength to live for Him and put Him first and not to live for self. Any one of us could so quickly just start doing it for self. self-glory, self-gain. It just, unfortunately, that's how we are. But we've got to always keep ourself in check. However God might have spoken to you heart, we just encourage you to use this time to pray and talk to the Lord. As the music continues to play, I just want to ask, as the saints are praying, if there's anybody here this evening, you're here and you know deep down inside that you're one of those Christians that's kind of lost. You're just not sure that you're going to heaven when you die. You've been thinking about it. You've been thinking about, I don't know, am I going to go to heaven? Or I'm just not sure. I would like to know if there's anybody like that. I would like to pray for you. Can you please just raise up your hand? The saints are praying, everybody's heads bowed, everybody's eyes closed. By raising your hand, you're saying, Preacher, I'm not sure I'm going to heaven. Will you please pray for me? I just don't know for sure. I would like to know for sure. I just don't know for sure. Can you please pray for me? My prayer won't save you, but I'll ask God to give you the faith that you need, that you can understand that you need a Savior, and you would have that faith to trust Him and Him alone to save you. There's no religion, no work that you can do that can save you from your sin. You need a Savior. Jesus Christ is the only Savior. Isn't anybody like that? Just one more opportunity. Thank you for that hand. Anybody else? Anybody else? Preacher, I'm just not sure I'm going to heaven. I've been thinking about it. I've been in church many times, but I just don't know for sure. Can you please pray for me? There can be nothing more important in this life than for you to know for sure you're going to heaven when you die We all know we're going to die. We better be ready for it We better be wise enough to be ready for that day Lord, I want to pray for this one who raised his hand and also for any others. If there's somebody else here that's not sure their salvation, they've never experienced that complete peace with God that they're going to heaven when they die. Lord, I pray that you would be with them. Help them to realize that they're a sinner, that they've sinned against you and they don't deserve heaven. But in your great love, you came and died on the cross to save them from their sin. You care for them. You want to save them. Lord, I pray that you give them the faith that they need to call upon you, to ask you to forgive them, help them to humble themselves and seek your face and ask for forgiveness and that you would save them from their sins so that they can be saved. Lord, I pray that you would just help them to understand that they need a Savior. Help them to believe that Jesus is the only Savior and that they'll put their faith in you and call upon you for the salvation of their soul. We thank you, God, for dying for us. We thank you for doing something that we could not do by making a way of salvation. Indeed, you are a loving, Faithful, merciful God, we thank you for that. Lord, help us as your children to be faithful and merciful and express the love of God to others. Help us to show that difference. Help us to show the love of God in this world and make a powerful difference. Help us to live for you and not for self. Help us not to do religious works, Christian duties and things for our own gain, for our own benefit. But Lord, help us to just love you and live for you. Help us to put our treasure in heaven so our heart can be in heaven towards the things of God We thank you Lord for the truth of your scriptures. Give us wisdom to apply these words to our life in Jesus name I pray