May 25th 2014-Life in the Kingdom: Treasure

Do you see money with Kingdom vision?  Is God King of your finances?  In this message, we explore Jesus’ strong challenge to live with God as King of our treasure so that we are free to invest in what advances His Kingdom in and through our lives.

If you want a study tool to go along with the podcast, see Lift Notes here:

Life in the Kingdom: Treasure

May 25th 2014 by Kasey Crawford

Today’s Passages: Matthew 6:19-24; Luke 12:13-21, 32-34

 

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven…”                                    Matthew 6:19-20

Followers of Jesus who are living to see God’s Kingdom come will use the resources God has given them to ____________ in what advances God’s kingdom.

 

“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23 But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness.                                                Matthew 6:22-23

 

The word good in “good eye” has a root in both _____________ and singular devotion. The word bad eye or “evil eye” is a common phrase in the culture that refers to a __________ and covetous eye.

 

Jesus is saying that how we _______ money, wealth and possessions has a great effect on our entire life. Jesus wants us approach money with Kingdom ___________.

 

Luke 12:13-21-Approaching wealth with Kingdom Vision

Fool’s vision: My stuff is all about _____ and ______.

Jesus’ vision: You are not promised _________, so live for ________.

Fool’s vision: He who has the most toys, _______.

Jesus’ vision: He who is rich toward ______ wins

Fool’s vision: A Prosperous crop means I should buy more stuff for _________

Jesus’ vision: a prosperous crop is to be _________ in advancing God’s kingdom.

 

Jesus calls us to a vision of wealth that invests with our eyes on eternal values and the advancement of His eternal Kingdom that begins now.

 

A Litmus test…

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. (6:21)

According to Jesus, what you value is _____________ by where you spend your money.

 

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and wealth.

 

This is one of the clearest specific examples in Jesus’ teaching about what it looks like for God to reign as ________ in our lives. Either God is King of your finances or ________ are.

 

In Luke 12:32-34 Jesus shows a Kingdom vision: God has __________ you the greatest possible ________________. Everything God has, his entire kingdom, is yours in the coming future and now. So then, since we are living to see this kingdom advance, our money should reflect that by investing in what brings God’s heavenly kingdom to earth.

 

Going deeper with God this week…

Spend some time reading and reflecting on the scriptures of this week’s message. What is challenging about them? What is inspiring?

Spend some time reflecting on how you use the resources God has given you. How can you put God as King?

A bold, kingdom-minded questions when considering a new purchase: Does this advance the kingdom of God in or through my life?

To build your awareness on some of the difficult issues we face in our times and some inspiring kingdom-minded responses to them, see these websites (just to name a few!):

World Evangelizationhttp://www.irisglobal.org/ or www.gfa.org/

Human Trafficking and Sex Slavery

http://www.facess.org/   and www.ijm.org

Food, water, disease, education, Jobswww.worldvision.org or www.evangelicalsforsocialaction.org/

Kasey Crawford