Treasure in Heaven: Living with Eternal Perspective
Scripture Texts: Ecclesiastes 1:2, 12-14;
2:18-23, Colossians 3:1-11, and Luke 12:13-21
August 3, 2025 – Ebenezer UMC
& Black Creek UMC
Introduction
Grace and peace to you this morning. Today, the Word of God
confronts us with important questions: What is our life for? What gives it
meaning? Where do we find purpose in a world driven by work, wealth, and worry?
Through our scripture texts today, the Spirit is inviting us to examine our
priorities—and to reorder them under Christ.
We live in a world obsessed with accumulation. From the
moment we wake up, we’re bombarded with messages telling us that happiness is
just one purchase away, that security comes from our bank account, and that
success is measured by what we own rather than by who we are. But today,
through the wisdom of Scripture, God calls us to examine our hearts and ask a
fundamental question: Where is our treasure?
The Teacher in Ecclesiastes cries out in frustration, “Vanity
of vanities! All is vanity!” Paul urges the Colossians to “set your minds on
things above, not on earthly things.” And Jesus tells us about a man who
thought he had everything figured out, only to discover in his final moments
that he had nothing at all. These passages don’t merely criticize material
pursuits — they reveal the deep longing of the human heart for something more,
something eternal, something that truly satisfies.
I. The Vanity of Earthly Pursuits – Chasing the Wind
The Teacher’s Lament
The writer of Ecclesiastes speaks from a place of profound
experience. He had wealth, wisdom, pleasure, and power—everything our world
tells us we need to be happy. Yet his conclusion is startling: “I have seen
everything that is done under the sun, and see, all is vanity and a chasing
after wind.”
This isn’t pessimism; it’s realism. The Teacher discovered
what many of us learn too late: that earthly pursuits, when they become our
ultimate concern, leave us empty. The promotion we worked so hard for may bring
only temporary satisfaction before we start eyeing the next rung on the ladder.
The house we saved for can become a burden of maintenance and mortgage
payments. The retirement account we’ve carefully built can disappear in a
market crash.
But notice something crucial here — the Teacher doesn’t say
work is meaningless or that planning is wrong. He’s pointing out that when
these things become our ultimate source of meaning and
security, they will inevitably disappoint us. The key is not rejection of
earthly concerns, but rightly ordering them under the lordship of Christ.
The Rich Fool’s Miscalculation
At the beginning of Luke 12 we see Jesus us walking in the
midst of a crowd that had gathered by the thousands, and that they were trampling
on one another.
From the crowd someone yells out to Jesus while he was
teaching. He interrupts Jesus to ask him to intervene in a family dispute,
saying “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.” Rather
than getting involved in this matter, Jesus declines saying “Man, who appointed
me a judge or an arbiter between you?”
He uses this moment as a teaching opportunity, addressing
not just the questioner but the entire crowd with a warning: “Watch out! Be on
your guard against all kinds of greed.” Jesus then explains the deeper
principle behind his refusal to get involved in the inheritance dispute,
stating that “life does not consist in an abundance of possessions.”
It reminds me of the temptations of our Lord in Matthew 4.
After fasting for 40 days, the devil tells Jesus to turn stones into bread.
Jesus responds by quoting from Deuteronomy 8:3, “He humbled you by letting you
hunger, then by feeding you with manna, with which neither you nor your
ancestors were acquainted, in order to make you understand that one does not
live by bread alone but by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.”
This sets the scene for the parable that follows, showing
how Jesus redirects a practical legal question toward a more fundamental
spiritual truth about the proper relationship between people and their material
wealth. Jesus’ parable of the rich fool illustrates this perfectly. Here was a
man who had achieved what many consider the American dream — so much success
that he needed bigger barns to store his wealth. His plan seemed reasonable: “I
will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax,
eat, drink, be merry.”
But God’s response cuts to the heart: “You fool! This very
night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared,
whose will they be?”
The man’s error wasn’t his success or even his planning—it
was his assumption that his security lay in his possessions rather than in his
relationship with God. He was, as Jesus puts it, not “rich toward God.”
II. The Call to Set Our Minds Above
Paul’s Radical Reorientation
In his letter to the Colossians, Paul presents us with a disciple’s
way of thinking. “If you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are
above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on
things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”
Now, some might read this and think Paul is calling us to be
“so heavenly minded that we’re of no earthly good,” to quote Oliver Wendell
Holmes.[i]
That is, to ignore our responsibilities, quit our jobs, and wait for Jesus to
return. But that’s not what Paul means at all. He’s calling on us to reorient our
priorities and to make a fundamental shift in what drives our decisions and
defines our identity.
When Paul says “set your minds on things above,” he’s
talking about having an eternal perspective that shapes how we live in the
present. It’s about asking different questions: How does this decision honor
God? How can my work serve his kingdom? How can my resources be used for his
glory and the good of others?
The New Self
Paul goes on to describe what this looks like. He calls for
us to “put to death” the earthly desires that once controlled us — greed,
impurity, anger, malice. Instead, we’re to “clothe ourselves” with compassion,
kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. This isn’t just moral improvement;
it’s a complete transformation of what we value and pursue.
III. Living with Eternal Perspective in a Temporal World
The Tension We Face
I remember one summer at Annual Conference some time ago
when a retiring preacher got up and denounced Social Security and the pension
plan of the church. He made the argument that these things would destroy our
trust in God.
But does that really make sense? Does God really expect us
to not plan for the future?
Here’s where many of us struggle. We hear “set your minds on
things above,” and we may wonder: Does this mean I shouldn’t plan for
retirement? Should I not save for my children’s education? Is it wrong to work
for a promotion or buy a house?
The answer is both yes and no. The issue isn’t
whether we engage with earthly responsibilities — Jesus himself worked as a
carpenter, and Paul made tents. Even from the cross, Jesus made arrangements
for his mother to be taken care of. (John 19:26–27)
The issue is the spirit in which we
approach these things and the priority we give them in our
lives.
Right Priorities: Seeking First the Kingdom
Jesus gives us the key in Matthew 6:33: “Strive first for
the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to
you as well.” Notice he doesn’t say ignore these earthly needs—he says seek God’s
kingdom first, and trust that God will provide what you truly need.
This means approaching our planning and working with kingdom
priorities. When we’re considering a job change, we ask not just “Will this pay
more?” but “How will this enable me to serve God better?” When we’re saving
money, we consider not just our own security but how we can be generous toward
others. When we’re making decisions about our time, we remember that our
ultimate calling is to love God and love our neighbors.
Stewardship, Not Ownership
As disciples, we understand that everything we have is a
gift from God, entrusted to us for faithful stewardship. This changes
everything. Our money isn’t just our money — it’s God’s money that he has
entrusted to us. Our time isn’t just our time — it’s God’s time that he’s given
us to use for his glory. Our talents and abilities aren’t just ours — they’re
gifts to be used in service of his kingdom.
James reminds us to approach our planning with humility: “Come
now, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and
spend a year there, doing business and making money.’ Yet you do not even know
what tomorrow will bring... Instead, you ought to say, ‘If the Lord wishes, we
will live and do this or that.’” (James 4:13-15)
This isn’t fatalism — it’s faithful recognition that we’re
not ultimately in control. We can plan wisely while holding our plans loosely,
ready for God to redirect them according to his will.
IV. Practical Kingdom Living
Working for God’s Glory
Colossians 3:23 tells us, “Whatever your task, put
yourselves into it, as done for the Lord and not for your masters.” This
transforms our work from mere drudgery into worship. Whether you’re a teacher,
a mechanic, a nurse, or a CEO, you’re called to excellence — not to impress
people or advance your career, but to honor God with your efforts.
This means showing integrity in your business dealings,
treating colleagues with respect, doing your best work even when no one is
watching, and looking for opportunities to serve others through your
profession.
Generous and Detached
The kingdom-minded person can save for the future while
remaining generous in the present. They can enjoy God’s good gifts without
being enslaved by them. They can work hard without being consumed by ambition.
They understand that their security comes not from their bank account but from
their relationship with the God who owns the cattle on a thousand hills.[ii]
This doesn’t mean being careless with money or ignoring
practical needs. It means holding our possessions with an open hand, ready to
share when God calls us to generosity, ready to sacrifice when his kingdom
requires it.
Daily Faithfulness
Perhaps most importantly, the balanced disciple doesn’t get
so caught up in planning for the future that they miss God’s call in the
present moment. Jesus taught us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread” — not
“Give us enough bread stored up for the next forty years.” While planning is
wise, worry is sin. While saving is prudent, hoarding is idolatry.
Each day brings opportunities to love God and serve others.
Each day offers chances to demonstrate kingdom values in a world obsessed with
earthly treasure. Each day is a gift to be received with gratitude and lived
with purpose.
Conclusion: Where Is Your Treasure?
Jesus said, “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on
earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal; but
store up for yourselves treasures in heaven... For where your treasure is,
there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19) We will be looking at the Lukan
version of this text next week.
The question before us today is simple but profound: Where
is your treasure? What are you really living for? What gets you excited, keeps
you up at night, drives your decisions?
If your treasure is in earthly things — your job, your
possessions, your reputation, your security — then you’re building on shifting
sand. Like the rich fool, you may find yourself with full barns but an empty
soul.
But if your treasure is in heaven — if your greatest joy
comes from knowing God, serving others, and advancing his kingdom — then you’re
building on the solid rock that cannot be shaken.
This doesn’t mean becoming a monk or giving away everything
you own. It means approaching every aspect of your life with the question: How
can this bring glory to God and good to others? It means planning wisely while
trusting completely. It means working hard while resting secure in God’s
provision. It means enjoying earthly blessings while keeping your heart set on
heavenly treasure.
A Personal Rule of Life
I challenge you this week to develop your own rule of life for
these matters — a set of guiding principles that help you maintain this
balance. Perhaps it includes:
- Starting
each day by surrendering your plans to God
- Making
generosity a regular practice, not just an occasional impulse
- Regularly
examining your motives in work and spending
- Setting
aside time for prayer and Scripture study, no matter how busy you are
- Looking
for ways to serve others through your unique gifts and circumstances
The Teacher in Ecclesiastes concluded his reflections with
these words: “The end of the matter; all has been heard. Fear God, and keep his
commandments; for that is the whole duty of everyone.” Paul urged the
Colossians to let the peace of Christ rule in their hearts. Jesus promised that
those who seek first God’s kingdom would find everything they truly need.
Brothers and sisters, you have been raised with Christ. Your
life is hidden with Christ in God. Set your minds on things above, and let that
eternal perspective transform how you live on earth. Store up treasure in
heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in
and steal.
For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Amen.
[i]
The quote "Some people are so heavenly minded that they are no earthly
good" is commonly attributed to Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., though it does
not appear in his major published works.
[ii]
Hymn "God Owns the Cattle on a Thousand Hills" by John W Peterson,
drawing on Psalm 50:10, "For every beast of the forest is mine, and the
cattle upon a thousand hills." See hymn at https://hymnary.org/text/he_owns_the_cattle_on_a_thousand_hills
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