Life can be so confusing. Sometimes we start out with what seems to be a simple decision, but as things move along, it turns into a complicated, confusing mess. When the treasures of this world start to tug on us and pull us in different directions, we get confused. It can start out as simple as us thinking that our happiness can be found in a lottery ticket. We think that money will bring us happiness but if we look at the lives of some of these lottery winners, we can see that that is not so. For example, Evelyn Adams, she won the lottery twice for a total of $5.4 million.  Now she now lives in a trailer park. William Post won $16.5 million and now lives solely on social security and food stamps. We can chase after the wrong treasures only to awaken one morning only to find out that everything we’ve been pursuing is for nothing.

That shouldn’t be so, especially citizens of heaven. Citizens of heaven should live according to a different value system and our choices made according to different motivations, not that of this world. We should be seeking a different kind of treasure. Jesus gives us two parables which speak of this treasure:

“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field.  When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.  Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls.  When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.”(Matt. 13:44-46 NIV)

What this passage is saying is that once we step into the kingdom of heaven and discover its true value – God’s forgiveness, grace, and gift of eternity – it makes such an impact on us that it radically changes our lives. Once we find this treasure, our choices in life must adjust to this change. So don’t chase after worldly treasures; make a different choice by understanding what are the…

TREASURES OF A CITIZEN OF HEAVEN:

1.    GOD’S WORD TAKES PRECEDENCE IN OUR LIVES.

What does it mean to have God’s Word take precedence? It means holding God’s Word in high regard, making it a priority and letting His Word influence us in everything we say and do. To allow God’s Word to take precedence in our lives, we must know it. That’s why doing daily devotions is so important. We must know His Word so we can rely on it and follow it, just as Jesus did when He was tempted by Satan.

“But He answered and said, ‘It is written, “Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.”’” (Matt. 4:4)

Even though Jesus could do for Himself, He chose to rely on God’s Word and God’s timing. God gave us His Word, the Bible, because He wanted tell us about Himself and to teach us how to live. Life is full of choices and we are free to choose but God’s Word provides boundaries for our lives, guidelines by which to make those choices…according to the treasures of heaven. However, we must not only learn about the way God wants us to live, but we must take what we learn and apply it to our lives. If we read God’s Word and toss it aside without applying it to our lives, we are throwing away great treasure. 

“Why do you spend money for what is not bread, and your wages for what does not satisfy? Listen carefully to Me, and eat what is good, and delight yourself in abundance. Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near.” (Is. 55:2, 6)

Don’t waste time on meaningless treasure – the treasure of this world – but rather, invest in the treasure of heaven, His Word. While letting God’s Word take precedence in your life is the first principle citizens of heaven should understand, the second principle we should also understand is…

2.    OUR TESTIMONY IS VALUED MORE THAN OUR TITLES.

We all play multiple roles and hold multiple titles in this life – mom, dad, sister, brother, employee, friend, etc. – but in the end, what will your epitaph read? People will not remember what awards you accumulated or what titles you had but rather how you lived your life. It is the way you live your life, and what you have done with what God has given you, that will be your testimony. 

“For what will a man be profited, if he gains the whole world, and forfeits his soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?” (Matt. 16:26)

Bob Buford, author of Game Plan, was a wealthy businessman who suddenly lost his son. In his book, he writes about life as a football game and he says that everything is won or loss by what you do at half-time. It is at half-time that you assess what you have been doing and what you need to do differently. While the first half of the game [life] is usually a quest for success, he suggests that the second half of the game [our lives] should be a quest for significance.

·        A LIFE OF SIGNIFICANCE IS TREASURED MORE THAN A LIFE OF SUCCESS.

What is the difference? Whereas success is achievements measured against worldly standards and expectations, significance is measured against heaven’s standards. There is nothing wrong with wealth, but what will you do with it to make a positive difference or impact on this world?

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Matt. 6:19-21)

God equips us and prepares us in the 1^st half of life for what we are to do in the 2^nd half. The question is, “what are you going to do with it?” Wherever God has placed you, learn and do well. It is during this time that He gives you opportunities to develop your talents for the 2^nd half – for the kingdom’s purposes.

Once you have made God’s Word precedence in your life and realized your testimony is valued more than your title, how do you live a life of significance rather than success? In order to do that, you need to be able to surrender and live…

3.    A LIFE THAT IS ALL OR NOTHING.

Until you learn how to surrender and let go of earthly treasures, you will be of no use to Him. 

”No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will hold to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve God and mammon.”

You cannot straddle the fence. If you straddle the fence and are a lukewarm Christian, God can’t use you.  God can’t open up the doors for you in your life to experience all there is for you to experience in the kingdom of heaven.

“I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm – neither hot nor cold – I am about to spit you out of my mouth.” (Rev. 3:15-16)

When we understand the value of the kingdom, we live lives are that willing to risk it all.  Give it all up to Him. We need to treasure lives like that, lives that are all out for God.  In closing, let me share a story with you about a man who is living that kind of life.

Jay Bennett was a high-powered attorney. He had a law firm that was doing very well in corporate and foundation work. He was also very active in the community. And, he was making a lot of money. One day, through life circumstances, God started to speak to Jay’s heart. Jay started to understand Him so clearly that it caused him to turn his life around. Jay didn’t leave the law practice, but instead, he used everything that God had given him for kingdom’s purposes. He began to put together deals that would serve kingdom’s purposes.  He started an organization called “Kingdom’s Oil” that brought community leaders and resources together to serve God’s purposes. In an interview Kingdom’s Oil, Jay stated, “I came to see my life as a tug-of-war between opposing forces. You see the world’s values tell you it’s all about how you look, what titles you hold or how much money you make that matters most, but that’s a fraud.  God is saying how you live your life is what matters. And when I think about being remembered, I think about how short obituaries really are. Everything in your resume gets boiled down to a couple of sentences of grey newsprint…I just want to be remembered as a man who passionately loved God and hopefully the by-products of that will be obvious. My advice to others, ‘Make sure you die in battle.’  It’s good to know what your desired outcome is but you never know what is going to happen in life. The key is to live intentionally, with passion, for a cause that is worthy of your life. Die bloody. I plan to go down swinging. I want to die in battle.”

Jay’s net worth is about $400-$500 million and he said, “When I die, I want my last check to bounce because I have invested everything for the kingdom.”

When we understand the true value of the kingdom and all that God gives us, we cannot help but be changed. By allowing God’s Word to take precedence in our lives, we are radically changed in a way that is noticeable to others. Then, our testimony (how we live our lives), not our titles, will influence others. So, we must strive to live lives of significance (importance by kingdom’s standards) not success (life’s standards) and be willing to live a passionate life for God’s purposes.

QUESTIONS:

1.      What will you invest your life in?  What will people remember you for? What do you WANT to be remembered for?

2.      What are you investing your time and energy in?  Will your efforts measure up to heavenly standards?

3.      Who am I and why am I here?  If asked, how will I answer:  “What have I done that brought significance into my life?” 

4.      Starting today, how can I begin the next step to investing in Kingdom’s Treasure?

Much thanks to Phyllis Unebasami, a volunteer writer who is using her talents and passion to serve God’s kingdom in our Sermon Notes ministry.