04/07/2021
SUNDAY, JULY 4TH 2021.
SERMON.
BY. REV. MABONGA JESSE
THEME: *TREASURES STORED.*
TEXT: MATHEW 6:19-21
*Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.*
Praise God brethren. Today we are going to look at this beautiful sermon. This is when Jesus was teaching his disciples on the mountain. We can call it the sermon on the mountain. Jesus taught a lot and I believe with this we shall learn something. Israel faced a lot of wars and the only way for people to keep their treasures was to dig up halls and store them up “…and of treasures hid in the sand. Deu 33:19.” I remember when I was young, I and my brother mark, dug up a hall around a compound to build our small house but we found a number of Ugandan coins, hidden in the ground. The deeper we dug the more coins we found. That day we never had lunch it was donuts time. We ate until we were no more because we promised ourselves to do so once we got money one day. Our prayers were answered. But let us look at what scripture is saying:
1. *Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:*
Friends the earth like your body is living, so the only way is to use it maximally. Do not desire to store up treasures in the earth. Better to invest what you have in any form. Treasures must be used for investments and building communities. Treasures must be used to help others that are less advantaged. If you can’t use them then lend them out. “Deu 28:12 The LORD shall open unto thee his good treasure, the heaven to give the rain unto thy land in his season, and to bless all the work of thine hand: and thou shalt lend unto many nations, and thou shalt not borrow.” Treasures are not meant to be kept dormant they must be used. Remember we are God’s treasure Psa_135:4 “For the LORD hath chosen Jacob unto himself, and Israel for his peculiar treasure.” but God has not hidden us. Amen The bible says in Mattew 5:14 “Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.” Don’t you see that our God is a business man he has not left a believer to be hidden, we are God’s exposed treasure to the world. Now the world sees us and believes in Him, Christ Jesus. Each and every day in the world people receive Jesus because God has not left his treasure hidden. After believing in Jesus, we are not advised to sit back a keep quiet we are commanded to go into this world that we came from and preach to it. God makes profit every day. Friends we are the light to the world we can’t be hidden. We are here for God. Looking at God, let us also borrow a leaf from him. Let us not keep what we have. We have a lot in us that is unused, use yourself until you have nothing left to be kept. Remember, YOU ARE GREATER THAN YOU ARE. Sometimes we do not use ourselves because of what they say about our back grounds, our class performances or grades and the negative energy around us. But there is a lot of treasure hidden inside you that needs to exposed. There is a lot of innovation inside you. Let us Invest our time to study the Bible for so as we can preach gospel, let us research and work to best for our businesses and at our work places. Today Banks are very funny and crafty they never encourage you to invest, instead they encourage you to save, saving is good for the bank whenever we save, we make money for the bank but whenever we invest, we are doing it for selves. For the purpose of the gospel. Recently the church invested in Byoosi .com but we see that the company is growing and time will come when the church will benefit from the company. We have seen church members also investing and coming up with businesses. Berryzweb solutions Ltd. Parents also investing in their kids this is all investment. We never hide our treasures we invest them or lend them out lest they are eaten up by thieves. When your salary comes, find a way to invest it, hide it not to accumulate. Today, money value goes bad every day, the salt I bought 200shs ten years ago is now 1000shs, the land you bought 900,000shs some years ago is now 100million. My friend, sit not on your treasures. *Time determines the value of your treasure.* There is a lot in you. Time will come when what you kept cannot even buy you a cloth on your body. It’s just liked my lovely father asking to race 100meters with me, at my age and his, it would be impossible. That is why in every time discover what is hidden in you and use it maximally.
2. *But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:* Treasures in heaven is like seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. When you seek his kingdom. We see that treasures will be revealed in us. Seeking does his kingdom here calls for knowing God more and more. Mat 5:6 “Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled (satisfied).” All Our endeavors all that we have should point to God. Let all that we do be for God. Why? It is because we are for God. If we do things and we don’t point them to God, then what we are doing is we are laying up our present endeavors and treasures for thieves.
3. *For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.* Whenever you keep what you treasure most somewhere, always your heart is there. I remember when I used to save my money in equity bank, all my heart was at the ATM. Even in normal circumstances, when you keep money in your pocket you keep touching it thinking the money was stolen, or has fallen down as though your pockets had holes. This is normal because that is where is your treasures is and your heart is there. But when all that we have is given to God. In every setting you are in, let your heart be focused on God. This will make you do everything as though it is for God. Col 3:23 “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men;” Therefore, let thank God for what we have and let keep discovering more in him. For in him are the treasures of this world that no thief can ever sn**ch. Our faith and Hope are in God.
*Prayer.*
God, I thank you for your life that is hidden in us in Christ Jesus. We are your treasure. We are a city on a hill. We are the light and we salt the earth. Amen
