Sermon Notes: Matthew 6:19-24

Sermon Title: Pop Crazy or Kingdom Crazy?

Scripture: Matthew 6:19-24

Main Thought: This sermon explores Jesus’ teaching in Matthew 6:19-24, warning against storing up earthly treasures that fade and instead calling us to invest in eternal things. Using personal stories and biblical examples, it contrasts the emptiness of materialism with the joy of generosity rooted in Christ’s sacrificial love. When Jesus becomes our true treasure, our hearts, habits, and resources follow Him.

Engage: Pop Crazy

I was browsing Amazon last December in search of additional Grinch-themed decorations for my office when I stumbled upon Funko Pop’s 2-Pack of the Grinch and Max. As soon as I saw it, I knew I had to have it for the office. When it arrived, I opened it up and immediately took a liking to the character’s oversized head, large eyes, small bodies, and simple design. Having been captivated by these figurines, I got online to see if there were any more that I could add to my seasonal decor, and there were!

Before long, I realized I had stumbled into a new obsession, I mean hobby. Well, to be honest, it was more of an obsession – my kids and wife might say an addiction to these plastic figurines. Before I realized it, I was spending my free time discovering the endless types of Funko Pops available to collect. I was researching how to find their worth, how many of certain ones were produced, and I was absolutely ordering the ones I liked before they disappeared! I knew I was flirting with being controlled by my new craze when I thought about making a YouTube channel called Pop Crazy to share my collection and growing knowledge about the world of Funko Pops to try and support my new “hobby.”

Since my initial encounter with an infatuation with these four-inch vinyl plastic figures, my interest in them has evolved into a healthier hobby. I enjoy them, and I am even using them as a reward system in our debt snowball; when something is paid off, voilà, a new addition to the collection.

TRANSITION –

My newfound hobby may baffle you, a middle-aged man collecting toy-like figures. However, we live in a world designed to make us want more and to make it as effortless as possible to act impulsively on our desires. It may not be Funko Pops, but it might be the latest phone or tech gadget that causes you to spend some of your expendable income. Perhaps it’s a house, a car, a career, your social media presence, a hobby, your health and body, athletic success, travel, or a desire to be validated by others. Or perhaps it’s simply the size of your savings account or 401 (k).

In and of themselves, none of the aforementioned are sinful or wrong. To be faithful to Scripture, all the above are given to us by our good and generous God.

Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable. Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment.
(1 Timothy 6:17, NLT)

However, any of the things previously mentioned can become a problem when they become our primary focus. When anything becomes so treasured by us that it captures our hearts, occupies our minds, and determines our actions in ways greater than God does. In the following verses, Jesus speaks timeless truths that address the danger of being materialistic, of loving the things of this world more than the Savior of the world.

BOOK: Matthew 6:19-24

The first part of the Sermon on the Mount focused on the character of the disciple, of a Kingdom citizen. In Chapter Six, Jesus speaks about the disciple’s relationship to God, his Father. In verses one through eighteen, Jesus discusses how we are to approach our Father through spiritual disciplines so that we may encounter and please Him. In the remaining part of the chapter, our Messiah warns us of two temptations that will hinder, if not prevent, us from walking closely with and enjoying Him during our time on earth: materialism and worry.

As you may have guessed, we will examine Jesus’ teaching on materialism in 6:19-24, and we will explore His teaching on worry next week.

1. Messiah’s Command

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. ²⁰ Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. (Matthew 6:19-20, NLT)

Jesus opens this section with a vivid and countercultural command: “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth…” (v.19). The Greek verb thēsaurizō (“to store up”) and the noun thēsauros (“treasure”) are etymologically connected, emphasizing an intense accumulation—perhaps best translated, “Do not treasure up treasures.” This phrasing suggests a critique not merely of wealth, but of the heart’s orientation toward wealth.

In the first-century Palestinian context, treasure often took the form of costly clothing, grains, or precious metals. Moths could destroy garments, rust (or corrosion, possibly referring to spoilage or infestation) could ruin food supplies, and thieves could literally dig through clay walls to steal valuables. The impermanence of earthly treasures is a stark reminder that material wealth, no matter how well-guarded, is inherently insecure.

I know of a man who had a collection of video games. I don’t remember all the systems he had games for, but I do know that he had quite the collection of Game Boy cartridges. He and his family lived down the road from the church in a gated community of townhomes. One day, they returned home, I think after worship on a Sunday morning, to find their home burglarized. Among the stolen items was the man’s treasured collection of video games. The Holy Spirit used this experience to refine him in relationship to this passage, particularly where he was storing up treasure, on earth or in heaven. He never did, as far as I know, begin to collect video games or anything else of temporary gain that thieves could steal or that he could lose at any moment. Instead, he adopted a minimalist lifestyle for the financial well-being of his family, allowing them to invest more in Kingdom efforts.

But Jesus isn’t condemning wealth in itself. Scripture upholds the right to private property and even affirms wealth as a divine blessing when rightly stewarded (1 Timothy 6:17; Proverbs 3:9-10). What Jesus rebukes is self-centered accumulation—stockpiling for comfort, ego, or security apart from God’s kingdom purposes.

I also appreciate what Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones points out regarding the importance of not stockpiling treasures on earth. He points out that this passage is not just for the rich or financially comfortable. These instructions are for everyone because treasures are anything that one deems valuable. This means that the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich can treasure something or someone above God. His view captures the heart of our Lord’s command and expands its application today. According to the heart of the command, treasures can include a family heirloom or collection, a spouse, a child, a house, a lawn, a job, a ministry, one’s physical appearance, health, business success, and any material possessions.

In contrast, believers are exhorted to store treasures “in heaven”—acts of generosity, obedience, evangelism, and spiritual growth that have eternal significance. Blomberg (NAC) expands this to include “holiness of character,” “souls won for Christ,” and “disciples nurtured in the faith”. These cannot be touched by moth, rust, or thief.

Luke records a parable of Jesus, which I believe provides a vivid image of what it means to store up treasures on earth without regard to eternity and invest in things that last. The parable also serves as an excellent segue for why we need to protect ourselves from being controlled by our consumer-driven culture.

Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. ¹⁷ He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don’t have room for all my crops.’ ¹⁸ Then he said, ‘I know! I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I’ll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. ¹⁹ And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”’ ²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?’ ²¹ “Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” (Luke 12:16-21, NLT)

2. Materialism’s Control

This farmer did not live according to Jesus’ command to not store up treasures on earth, but instead to store up treasure in heaven. As a result, he was driven by his desire to acquire more, and it ultimately cost him his life and his eternal well-being.

Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.  (Matthew 5:44, NLT)

At the end of the parable, Jesus reveals where the farmer’s heart lay. His heart was consumed with storing up all he could for himself. He was bent on accumulating as much as he could at whatever cost. He tore down his old barns and then built bigger ones to increase his inventory and thus enlarge his net worth. We see his greed in the way that he describes his crops. He wondered what he would do with ALL his crops. The man was focused entirely on himself without regard for his fellow man or the poorest among him, as he saw ALL of the harvest as his and no one else’s.

The man’s greed reveals more about his heart toward God than toward his fellow man, though. God had made provision for the foreigner, traveler, and the poorest among His people. Farmers were supposed to leave the corners of their fields unharvested and leave gleanings on the ground (whether placed there on purpose or dropped by accident) to provide for the needs of the most vulnerable in their midst (i.e., Ruth).

“When you harvest the crops of your land, do not harvest the grain along the edges of your fields, and do not pick up what the harvesters drop. ¹⁰ It is the same with your grape crop—do not strip every last bunch of grapes from the vines, and do not pick up the grapes that fall to the ground. Leave them for the poor and the foreigners living among you. I am the Lord your God. (Leviticus 19:9-10, NLT)

The farmer’s disobedience to Yahweh’s instructions revealed what he valued most – things in place of God, and as a result, the location of his heart, as later confirmed after his death. The heart speaks of the center and seat of spiritual life, the soul or mind, as it is the fountain and seat of the thoughts, passions, desires, appetites, affections, purposes, endeavors (so in English heart, inner man, etc.). As God’s people, our most significant act of worship, a sign of affection, is to love God with all our heart, with all our inner being.

Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ ³⁸ This is the first and greatest commandment. (Matthew 22:37-38, NLT)

To the ancient Hebrews, the “heart” represented the very center of a person’s inner life—the core of their being. Proverbs 4:23 advises, “Guard your heart above all else, for it determines the course of your life.” The “soul,” by contrast, was most closely associated with a person’s emotions. This is the word Jesus used in Gethsemane when He said, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death” (Matthew 26:38), expressing deep emotional anguish. The “mind,” as used in passages like Deuteronomy 6:5, relates to what is often translated as “might” in the Old Testament. The Hebrew word behind it has a wide range of meanings, conveying the idea of energy, drive, and strength. In this context, “mind” refers to an active and determined will—a focused effort of both thought and strength, emphasizing intentional mental and spiritual pursuit.

If our treasure is anything but God, it means our heart is consumed with something other than God. We, being led by our desires, will affect how we think and see the world around us. This is the meaning behind Jesus’ metaphor in verses 22-23.

“Your eye is like a lamp that provides light for your body. When your eye is healthy, your whole body is filled with light. ²³ But when your eye is unhealthy, your whole body is filled with darkness. And if the light you think you have is actually darkness, how deep that darkness is! (Matthew 6:22-23, NLT)

Jesus then shifts metaphors: “The eye is the lamp of the body…” (v.22). In Jewish idiom, a “good eye” signified generosity (see Proverbs 22:9), while an “evil eye” pointed to greed and stinginess (Proverbs 28:22). Thus, a “good eye” brings clarity, spiritual health, and ethical direction, whereas a “bad eye” clouds vision and introduces darkness into one’s life.

This metaphor reinforces the previous verses, highlighting how our perception and valuation of wealth profoundly affect our moral and spiritual integrity. If our vision—our perception of wealth, purpose, and value—is distorted by greed, it will not just dim a part of us; it will darken the whole soul. MacArthur warns that greed becomes a spiritual blindness, filling life with “deceptive darkness”. It’s deceptive because when you believe that your attitude and view for acquiring more and more things or money without regard to God or spiritual matters is normal, you minimize the window of opportunity for conviction in your life to correct the desires of your heart. Believing our mindset about life and wealth is right over God’s and needing no course correction will leave one with a poor relationship with Him.

The farmer saw ALL the crops as his. He overlooked or chose to ignore that his generous God was the reason for having a field that produced a wealth of harvest (Job 38:25-27, 37-38; Matthew 5:45; 1 Timothy 6:17). Since his heart was consumed with accumulating as much as he could, his thoughts naturally followed his hearts desires. How could he store all his crops and increase his ability to store more? Having thought of a solution, he acted on it, tearing down his old barns and building bigger and better ones, which leads us to our final thought: Our heart’s location directs our thinking, and our thinking determines our actions.

“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. (Matthew 6:24, NLT)

Finally, Jesus emphasizes that we can only have one master—either God or money. The Greek word kurios, often translated as “lord,” refers specifically to a master in the context of slavery, not just an employer. Unlike a modern-day employee who can work multiple jobs and meet the expectations of different bosses, a slave could not divide his loyalty. He belonged entirely to one master.

A slave’s time, energy, and allegiance were not shared—he was under the complete authority and control of his master. That’s why Jesus’ statement is so strong: it’s not merely difficult, but utterly impossible to serve two masters. Faithful obedience requires total devotion, and any attempt to divide that loyalty would make one of the masters less than lord.

As John Calvin said, “Where riches hold the dominion of the heart, God has lost His authority.”

Mammon is an Aramaic word that means wealth, riches, or material possessions. By the time of Jesus, the word had come to represent not just money, but the personification of materialism and greed—in effect, a rival “god” competing for a person’s devotion. Jesus uses “mammon” here to illustrate the tension between serving God and being ruled by wealth or possessions.

The two masters, God and mammon, give completely different orders. One leads us to humility, faith, and eternal things; the other to pride, greed, and worldly pursuits. We can’t walk in both directions at the same time (Amos 3:3). Those who serve Christ will live for His glory, as David did when he said, “I have set the Lord always before me” (Psalm 16:8), and as Caleb did when he declared, “I followed the Lord my God fully” (Joshua 14:8).

The farmer in the parable treasured wealth and amassed it for himself with no regard for how to use his wealth to love God, invest in His work, or meet the needs of others. Jesus describes this man as a fool because, though he was rich in earthly possessions, he was bankrupt in his relationship with God.

The bottom line is clear and convicting: the way we view and handle money reveals the actual condition of our hearts. How we manage our resources is one of the clearest indicators of our spiritual health.

Inspiration

Bill Gates

Bill Gates has pledged to give away 99% of his wealth, aiming to donate around $200 billion over the next 20 years, primarily through the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. His goal is to reduce his net worth significantly during his lifetime, believing that his wealth can have a greater impact on serving global health, education, and poverty alleviation. The foundation plans to double its annual giving and is set to close permanently by December 31, 2045. Gates has also stated that his children will inherit less than 1% of his fortune (about $10 million per child), encouraging them to forge their own paths. In his own words, he hopes that “he died rich” will not be part of his legacy.

Bill Gates describes himself as agnostic, expressing respect for religion while grounding his worldview in science and reason. He attends Catholic church services with his family, largely influenced by his wife and children, and values the moral frameworks that religion provides. While he doesn’t claim personal belief in a specific deity, he has said it “makes sense to believe in God,” though he’s unsure how that belief should impact daily decisions. Gates has also acknowledged the mystery and beauty of the world, noting that science doesn’t have all the answers. His approach reflects curiosity, humility, and an openness to spiritual ideas without embracing organized religion personally.

If a self-proclaimed agnostic (one who doesn’t believe God can be known) can live generously, then how much more should we who have experienced the love of God through Jesus?

John Wesley

John Wesley was an 18th-century Anglican cleric and theologian who co-founded the Methodist movement, emphasizing personal holiness, grace, and social action. His preaching, small-group discipleship, and commitment to evangelism sparked a revival across England and America. Wesley’s teachings laid the foundation for Methodism, emphasizing a practical and heartfelt faith expressed through love for God and one’s neighbor.

Concerning money, Wesley said,

“Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can.”

This quote comes from his sermon “The Use of Money” (1744), where Wesley emphasized that wealth itself is not evil—it’s how we earn, manage, and use it that reflects our Christian character. He urged believers to earn money honestly and diligently, live simply without waste, and be radically generous in giving to the poor and advancing God’s kingdom.

John Wesley lived out his famous maxim—”Gain all you can, save all you can, give all you can”—with remarkable integrity and consistency throughout his life.

He earned a significant income from the sale of his published sermons, books, and tracts—at times as much as 1,400 pounds per year (a large sum in the 18th century). Yet he chose to live on just 28 pounds per year, the same modest amount he had begun with when he was young. Rather than increasing his lifestyle with his income, he increased his giving. Wesley gave away the vast majority of his earnings, using them to support the poor, fund orphanages, and advance the gospel.

He once said, “If I leave behind me ten pounds… you and all mankind may bear witness against me, that I have lived and died a thief and a robber.” By the end of his life, he had given away nearly all he owned, dying with just a few coins in his pocket. His life powerfully modeled a theology of stewardship rooted in contentment, generosity, and eternal perspective.

Theophilus

Some believe that Theophilus financed the cost of Luke’s writing of his Gospel and the Book of Acts (Luke 1:3; Acts 1:1). We have a portion of our New Testament (28%) because one man leveraged his resources for the Kingdom of God.

William Tyndale and Jacob van Meteren

Jacob van Meteren was a wealthy Dutch Protestant and early supporter of the Reformation, best known for his role in publishing and possibly financing early English Bible translations during the 16th century. He lived in Antwerp and was part of a circle of reformers and merchants sympathetic to the work of William Tyndale and others seeking to make the Bible available in the vernacular.

Van Meteren is often credited with helping publish the Coverdale Bible (1535), which was the first complete English Bible printed. Some historical accounts suggest he may also have supported or facilitated Tyndale’s translation efforts, particularly by providing access to printing presses and safe locations in Protestant-friendly parts of Europe.

Although there is debate over the extent of his involvement, van Meteren was clearly part of the network of underground support that helped spread Reformation ideas and Scripture in English, at great personal and political risk.

TRANSITION

May we be challenged by the example of a man who, as best as we can tell, according to his own statements, is poor in his relationship with God, yet desires to live generously, and by the examples of other believers like Wesley, Theophilus, and Jacob van Meteren to leverage our earthly possessions for God’s honor. If we do, we will know our treasure is Jesus above all else and that our heart is found in Him.

ACTION

1. Follower – Honor the Lord with ALL your possessions

Honor the Lord with your wealth
    and with the best part of everything you produce.
¹⁰ Then he will fill your barns with grain,
    and your vats will overflow with good wine. (Proverbs 3:9-10, NLT)

The Bible calls us to honor God with our possessions, using what He has given us as tools to be used, not as masters to be served. How do we start this process? Here are some practical ways for us to examine where our treasure is and, as a result, where our heart is too.

• Financial and Spending Check-Up
  • Tithing?
  • Using all your income without leaving any to help those in need?
  • Where is my money going? (Hobby, eating out, clothing, travel, Funko Pops, is that money preventing me from tithing, meeting my family’s basic needs, or leaving me with no means for helping others when led to do so?)
  • Financial Health – Does Credit Card debt or debt make you unable to live generously? Work on a plan and attack it. (The Debt Snowball)
• Discipling our kids in generosity
  • 10 10 80 Principle
  • Helping others, donating unused toys or outgrown clothes, and volunteering
• Legacy Giving
  • Prayerfully consider including your church or another ministry in your will.
• How am I leveraging my resources? Am I using them for the sake of the Kingdom of God?
  • Your job?
  • Your family?
  • Your home?
  • Your cars?
  • Your tools?
  • Hobbies?
  • Talents?
  • Travel?
  • Your relationships?

As a church, I want you to know that we do not use all the money given to us as a ministry solely for the things that take place within the walls of this building. We set aside approximately 11% of the funds received in the general offering and allocate it for missions and kingdom investment.

As a Church – CBC Gives Back

• Monthly Support for Missionaries and Ministries
  • Kaylee Johnson, The Balkans
  • Lydia Terry, India
  • J.P. Cawilli, The Phillippines
  • The Baptist Children’s Home
  • C.O.A.T.
  • New Life Family Outreach
• CBC Missions
  • Used to support local mission projects
  • Used to help send people on short-term missions
  • Used to help church families in need
• CBC Legacy
  • To renovate the church campus
  • In 2028, if not before, to be set aside for church planting and revitalization
• Give to both the NC Baptist State Convention and PBA

2. Far from God – be reconciled to God

You know the generous grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that by his poverty he could make you rich. (2 Corinthians 8:9)

You may wonder why God’s people are called to be generous or why Jesus commands us to store up treasures in heaven instead of hoarding them on earth. Why would anyone want to give a portion of their income to a local church, to help people in need, or other kingdom-focused work?

Simply put, it’s because our God is a generous God. We see God’s generosity on display by God the Son leaving the riches of heaven to be born as a baby to a virgin named Mary. We observe Jesus’ poverty when he speaks of birds having nests and foxes having dens but the Son of Man having nowhere to lay His head. Most humbling of all, we see Jesus becoming spiritually poor, becoming sin for us when He knew no sin, bearing all the deserved wrath and punishment from God in His own body for our sin so that we could become children of God and co-heirs with Jesus Himself.

The result, we have eternal life. We have escaped the firey and eternal judgment of hell. We will reign with Christ on the new earth for all eternity and enjoy an unhindered relationship with God. Because this is made possible through Jesus becoming poor, through His generosity and love, we also desire to live this way. It is a way of living that is not understood until you have experienced the love of God in Christ, made possible through the Son’s generosity.

Sticky Statement

“Since your heart follows your treasure, make sure your treasure is Jesus.”

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