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"Treasure That Lasts" (October 11) is the first of two sermons leading up to Pledge Sunday on October 25. Its central question is where our treasure is and where it is going. Building on the church's series in Philippians, the preacher notes that Paul could press on because he knew his destination, and knowing where we're headed changes what we hold onto.
He points out that Jesus spoke often about money because of how tightly it grips the heart, and that we cannot serve both God and money. He is candid about three things. He believes in the local church and this congregation but doesn't want to sound self-serving. He struggles with the urge to hoard. And God has challenged him on generosity throughout his life, including through past stewardship campaigns whose fruit the church still sees today.
The foundation comes from the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25). Everything belongs to God, so we are stewards, not owners. The real question isn't how much of our money to give God, but how much of God's money to keep. The master praises faithfulness rather than the size of the return, and the third servant failed because fear and distrust of his master held him back.
From Matthew 6:19–21 he draws three points:
- Everything here is headed for the junkyard, illustrated by rows of rusting cars along I-35.
- Jesus offers the best rewards program there is. We all spend with rewards in mind, and Jesus invites us to pursue the lasting ones.
- The heart follows the treasure, so investing in God's kingdom grows our love for it.
Through his failed baseball card "investment" and the rich fool of Luke 12, he warns against spending a life collecting worthless things. He closes with Randy Alcorn's reflection on his wife Nanci's death and the story behind "I Surrender All." He urges listeners to ask where their treasure and hearts are, and to hold what they have with open hands.
